Why the hell is it even a debate/discussion*?
Isn't the simplest explanation and solution to this debate (for those of Creation slant) be that God or Gods created the universe AND evolution?
Nothing had to be created "as is", that's a ridiculous notion, considering none of us are the same person, we were yesterday. Everything and everyone is constantly changing.
Edited*
The reason the debate continues is because the dividing line between evolution and creation is not where it should be.
Let me give a contemporary example. The modern gender debate allows for the possibility, that the natural sexual genetics, one is born with, does not necessary reflect our conscious orientation. If the DNA says male, some claim they are female or vice versa. If we extrapolate this, it means that human DNA, alone, does not create a one size fits all stereo-type of all humans. We also have conscious choice and will.
The Bible claim that the universe began about 6000 years ago has less to do with human DNA, and more to do with the appearance of new type of consciousness, that had choices that allowed it to depart from the expectations of the DNA. The Bible claim is connected to conscious evolution; freewill and choice. Free will and choice means we are not stuck with the program on our DNA. Science could not even start to unravel nature until this separation of mind; consciousness, and matter; DNA, occurred about 6000 years ago. When they were connected there was no need to seek such answers.
Evolution is concerned with DNA coming and then being first, while Creation is when human conscious choice started to separate humans from the natural expectations of the DNA, so that human DNA alone could no longer tell the entire store of man.
The bible time element of 6000 year ago coordinates with the science based discoveries of the invention of written language and the rise of civilization. These could not be predicted by human DNA alone since the invention of writing appears and was not just a genetic work in progress. There was a transcendent element in the brain that appears, which change the trajectory of humans. The result was the changing of the environment well beyond natural DNA based adaptation.
In the Bible story of Cain and Abel, where Cain was a tiller of the soil and Abel was a herder of animals, when Cain kills Abel, this symbolized farming supersede migratory herding. Thousands of years of migratory herding and gathering were superseded by consciousness due to choices and will. The DNA of Cain would still show migratory herding patterns, but he developed the will to chose to farm, which was totally new to humans. This would change the trajectory of human into modern man.
Cain is sent away by God and laments to God whomever shall come upon him shall kill him. Who were these whomever if Adam and Eve were the first two humans and Cain was their only son, left. The whomever, where the pre-humans with human DNA. They had human DNA but still had a more primitive and natural mindset, connected to their human DNA. They were not quite ready for civilization. Adam and Eve were created in the bible; conscious metamorphosis, that could break the DNA connections to the natural instinct; loss of instinct as will and choice take over.
The invention of written language was also key the rise of science. Spoken language is often spontaneous where the mouth can work faster than the brain. With written language, the pace is slower, and gives us more time to think and deliberate, before the final report is written. Adam was considered one of the first mathematicians and scientists. He was born of the dust of the earth; stone dust from writing on stone tablets. His deliberation in the dust created an expended mind; final report.
The problem that written language created was connected to knowledge of good and evil. This is often subjective, such as two political parties thinking they are good and other is evil. Once written down or carved into stone, such narrow minded and subjective ideas of morality could linger too long and cause repression of natural instincts. The Bible then goes to great lengths to describe the various forms of regressive behavior that were not natural, but could be chosen such as war.
The analogy for Genesis would be like the rise of conscious computers, becoming the new zero point in science due to profound changes, with not all the changes, good or healthy. It would begin like the Wild West and slowly come full circle until this new tool is tamed and used for good.