EVOLUTION- DARWIN

Cards (4)

  • DARWIN:
    • Expedition around the WORLD
    • Collected many PLANTS and ANIMALS
    • FASCINATED by VARIETY
    • Studied GEOLOGY and FOSSILS (species of EXTINCT are similar to species of EXISTING)
    • Developed "EVOLUTION by natural SELECTION"
  • EVOLUTION BY NATURAL SELECTION:
    • Genetic VARIATION for any CHARACTERISTIC (e.g. giraffes have different sized NECKS)
    • Characteristics best SUITED to the ENVIRONMENT survive and breed SUCCESSFULLY (longer necks, can reach the most NUTRITIOUS leaves)
    • Offspring: survival CHARACTERISTICS are passed onto the next GENERATION
  • ON THE ORIGIN OF SPECIES
    • Published in 1859
    Why was it CONTROVERSIAL and gradually ACCEPTED?
    • Not enough EVIDENCE
    • People believed in GOD, theories went against God's teachings
    • People didn't understand INHERITANCE (genetics was not understood until 50 years after the theory was PUBLISHED)
  • LAMARCK'S THEORY:
    • Regular USE of a CHARACTERISTIC, there is a more developed, STRENGTHENED characteristic
    • EXAMPLE: Giraffe's NECK gets LONGER every time it gets LEAVES, offspring INHERIT the long neck, and hence later GENERATIONS get the long NECK
    PROBLEM:
    • Any changes in a LIFETIME, are not passed onto offspring, therefore his theory was INCORRECT