Theory of evolution

• outline the theory of evolution by natural selection

  • individuals of a species show a wide range of variation for a characteristic
  • those with the characteristic most suited to the environment will survive, breed most successfully
  • the desirable characteristic that has enabled the individuals to survive are passed onto their offspring
• why was Darwin’s theory of evolution not accepted initially?

  • most people believed in creationism
  • insufficient evidence to prove the theory
  • mechanism of variation and inheritance was not known at the time
• Jean-Baptiste Lamarck’s theory of inheritance

  that changes during the lifetime of an organism can be inherited