Hay bales lie in a farmer's field north of Winnipeg. Fifty-three percent of Manitobans believe in the theory of evolution, which is among the lowest numbers in the country. (BRIAN DONOGH/Winnipeg Sun)

WINNIPEG - The majority of Canadians think humans have evolved over millions of years, but Prairie dwellers are easily the most skeptical.

According to an Angus Reid poll, 61% of Canadians believe in Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution, compared with 69% of Britons and just 30% of Americans.

In Canada, Quebecers are the most likely to believe in evolution (71%). Albertans are the least likely (48%), followed by residents of Manitoba-Saskatchewan (53%). Respondents were asked to choose between two statements that came the closest to matching their own point of view regarding the origin of human beings.

Albertans were the most likely to agree with the creationist statement, “God created human beings in their present form within the last 10,000 years”, with 35% in agreement, followed by Atlantic Canadians (27%) and Manitoba-Saskatchewan and Ontario (both 24%). Quebec respondents were the most skeptical of creationism, with 13% believing God creating humans in their present form.

Nearly a quarter of Manitoba-Saskatchewan respondents, 23%, couldn’t decide between evolution and creationism, the highest in Canada, compared with 17% in Alberta and 16% in every other province or region.

In the U.S., folks in the northeast are most likely to side with science (37%) while those in the south are the least likely to accept the theory of evolution (24%).

The online survey polled 1,510 Canadians late last month. The margin of error is plus or minus 2.5% for Canada.

— With files from QMI Agency