Theory Of Evolution

• Charles Darwin, asa a result of observations on a round of world expeditions, backed by years of experimentation and discussion and linked to developing knowledge of geology and fossil, proposed the theory of evolution by natural selection.
• Individual organisms within a particular species show a wide range of variation for a characteristic
• individuals with characteristics most suited ti the environment are more likely to survive to breed successfully
• The characteristics that have enabled these individuals to survive are then passed on to the next generation
• Darwin published his ideas in On the Origin of Species (1859)
• There was much controversy surrounding Darwin's ideas
• The theory of evolution by natural selection was only gradually accepted because:

  • the theory challenged the idea that God made all the animals and plants that live on earth
• There was insufficient evidence at the time the theory was published to convince many scientists
• The mechanism of inheritance and variation was not known until 50 years after the theory was published