Three commonly polled positions
Surveys about human origins often reduce a wide spectrum of views to three broad categories. Exact wording matters: a question may ask about human development, all life, divine involvement, the age of Earth or acceptance of scientific evidence. Results from differently phrased questions should therefore be compared with care.
Evolutionary biology describes humans and other living species as sharing common ancestors. It does not state that modern humans descended from the apes living today.
Naturalistic evolution
This position accepts the scientific account of cosmic, geological and biological development without requiring divine direction. It may be held by non-theists or by people whose theology does not assign a direct role to a deity in evolutionary change.
Theistic evolution
This position accepts evolution while understanding the process as compatible with, sustained by or directed through divine activity. Details vary considerably among religious traditions and individuals.
Creation science
In the survey context used by this archive, this generally refers to belief that major forms of life were created in substantially their present form, often alongside a relatively recent creation timeline. Not every creationist holds the same chronology or interpretation.
The pages in this section preserve polling summaries from different periods. They are an historical archive, not a single continuous survey series. Readers should review dates, samples and question wording before drawing conclusions about trends.