In Evolution vs Creationism, Apple sides with science

AN iPhone app from Apple has decided evolution is the way it all happened and shows users how closely related they are to any other species.

AN iPhone app from Apple has decided evolution is the way it all happened and shows users how closely related they are to any other species.

Sidestepping the argument between the scientific theory of evolution and the religious theory of creationism, the TimeTree app charts the timescale of the evolution of life on Earth.

If you are wondering how closely related you are to your pet, simply type in your two species, and the app will tell you the length of time since you and Rex last shared a common ancestor.

The app works by linking to the website timetree.org, an online database of scientific studies that use "molecular clocks" which use gene mutations to measure time.

When you punch in two species (say human and dog) the website mines through vast amounts of data and studies to find how long it’s been since the two species last made their evolutionary split (around 100 million years ago).

The app displays a timeline showing all the studies that TimeTree used to reach its result (an average taken from the studies).

“One of the most important things about this knowledge base is that it makes it possible for anyone to see the current agreements and disagreements in the field - immediately,” TimeTree scientist Sudhir Kumar said.

The app is a free download for iPhones.

TimeTree is jointly directed by Blair Hedges (Pennsylvania State University) and Sudhir Kumar (Arizona State University).