Theory of Evolution

• Who was Charles Darwin?


  Scientist and naturalist
• What theory did Charles Darwin put forward?

  The theory of evolution
• What supported Darwin's theory of evolution?

  Experimentation and knowledge of geology
• What are the key points of the theory of evolution?

  • Variation exists within species due to DNA mutations
  • Survival of the fittest: organisms suited to the environment survive and reproduce
  • Beneficial characteristics are passed to the next generation
  • Frequency of advantageous alleles increases over generations
• What was one reason for the controversy surrounding Darwin's ideas?

  It contradicted the belief in God as creator
• Why was there not enough evidence for Darwin's theory at the time?

  Few studies had been done on organism changes
• What was unknown at the time regarding inheritance and variation?

  The mechanism of inheritance and variation
• Who proposed the theory that changes during an organism's lifetime are passed to offspring?

  Jean-Baptiste Lamarck
• What did Lamarck believe about characteristics developed through repeated actions?

  They would develop further and be inherited
• How would Lamarck explain a giraffe's long neck?

  It developed from stretching to reach leaves
• What happens to a characteristic that develops in an individual according to Lamarck's theory?

  It is passed on to its offspring
• Why was Lamarck's theory proven wrong?

  Changes caused by the environment aren't inherited
• How did Darwin's theory differ from Lamarck's regarding inheritance?

  It involved genetics and mutations for inheritance
• What provided support for Darwin's theory?

  Genetics and fossil evidence
• What does fossil evidence show about organism development?

  Developments arose slowly over time
• How do mutations relate to Darwin's theory of evolution?

  They provide a mechanism for beneficial traits