Darwin's theory of evolution

• His observations during his voyage on 'The Beagle', for example the beaks of finches on the Galápagos Islands, convinced him of the truth of natural selection
• His theory is thus based on inductive reasoning
• Natural selection refers to the way in which individuals better suited to their environment survive to adulthood and reproduce, passing on their characteristics to their offspring
• Over a long period of time, the characteristics of a species are modified to enable the survival of the species in its environment, as seen in finches on different Galápagos Islands- this ultimately leads to the development of new species
• Those less suited to the environment die out and whole species perish when there are major changes to the environment- Darwin referred to this as survival of the fittest
• Darwin's theory was highly controversial but it made sense to many people
• The science of genetics have given further support to his ideas