Charles Darwin's The Origin Of Species

Evolution is the process of biological change by which descendants come to differ from their ancestors. Natural Selection is when an individual with the best trait survive and breed in more population. Larger populations of organisms with the desired traits will then occur and organisms will evolve. The four principles of Natural Selection are variation, over production, adaptation, and descent with modification. Charles Darwin, an English naturalist and geologist saw two major trends within organisms which were variation and adaptation. Variations are differences in individuals’ physical traits compared to other individuals. In the Galapagos Islands Darwin noticed that finches had different beak sizes and shapes. Darwin then concluded that finches with thicker beaks lived in areas where nuts were the main food source and finches with smaller beaks tended to live in areas where insects were the main food source. Adaptation are features that allow an organism to better survive in their environment. There has been many adaptations in animals but one of the best has been living in groups because animals can then “help each other find food, defend against predators and care for their young” (animalpanet, n.d.). Overproduction is when organisms produce more offspring than the environment can support. Darwin stated that all animals over produce since offspring can reach reproduction age and have offspring of their own. For example, “even a slow breeder

He finally observed that overtime these birds developed different physical characteristics to help them be able to survive and adapt to their surroundings. Darwin developed the “Natural Selection” theory that stated that plants and animals adapt to their surroundings and environments in order to survive. He also stated that older generations of these species would eventually die out, because they do not have the newer characteristics that needed to be developed in order to live.

Singh (2015), in the article, “Darwin's legacy II: why biology is not physics, or why it has taken a century to see the dependence of genes on the environment”, genes and environment make the organism. Darwin continuously denied the direct role of environment in the modification of heredity. His theory of evolution highlighted two arguments; one about the importance and adequacy of natural selection as the main mechanism of evolution, and the other about the role of genes versus environment in the modification of phenotype and evolution. There are two reasons for the gene versus environment debate. First, there was confusion about the role of environment in modifying the inheritance of a trait versus the evolution of that trait, and second, there was misunderstanding about the meaning of environment and its interaction with genes in the production of phenotypes. It took decades to observe that environment does not directly affect the inheritance of a phenotype, but it is nevertheless the primary mover of phenotypic evolution. Effects of genes and environment are not separate but interdependent. One cannot separate the effect of genes from that of environment, or nature from nurture (Singh,

Just like his grandfather Erasmus Darwin he spoke of species changing over time. “Darwin along with Russel Wallace suggested a mechanism, natural selection, to explain how that connectedness and functional traits of organisms came about” (Little, 2010). The finches in the Galapagos Islands confirmed his idea of natural selection. Natural selection is a “process by which beneficial alleles increase in frequency over time in a population due to survival and reproductive success of the individuals carrying those alleles. This is a consequence of variation, inheritance and differential survival” (Bergstrom,

The hypothesis of advancement by characteristic determination, initially figured in Darwin's book "On the Origin of Species" in 1859. This is the procedure by which living beings change after some time as a consequence of changes in heritable physical or behavioral attributes. Changes that permit a living being to better adjust to its surroundings will offer it some assistance with surviving and have all the more posterity. Advancement by regular determination is one of the best substantiated speculations ever, bolstered by proof from a wide assortment of exploratory controls, including fossil science, geography, hereditary qualities and formative science. The hypothesis has two primary focuses, said Brian Richmond, guardian of human resources

In the Origin of Species, Charles Darwin gives a detailed explanation of his observations and on the Theory of evolution by natural selection. Darwin’s theory of natural selection is based on his observations aboard H.M.S. Beagle and recorded data in South America and neighbouring islands. Darwin records that there is more variety in Domestic species than in species in nature due to the random selection. He also explains that

Through his observation of finches, Darwin enumerated the three conditions or traits necessary in order for natural selection to take place. However, these three conditions convey only what was observable at the time, rather than the underlying genetic processes taking place. His first condition was that, “There is variation among individuals.” What Darwin observed was morphological or phenotypical differences, and these in turn produced an individual either better or worse suited to survival and reproduction. Second, “The variation is inherited by offspring,” means that these differences in traits must be able to be passed down to future

Natural selection is one of the most significant methods in which evolution can occur in a population that was proposed by Charles Darwin, among other scientists, in the 1800s. The term summarizes the concept that heritable traits that are able to survive, due to fitness for their environment, and successfully reproduce will likely become more common among a population. On the other hand, natural selection also includes the idea that heritable traits that either cannot survive, or have unsuccessful reproduction will become less common in a population. Other aspects of natural selection as a whole include evidence from various scientific fields, the key points of the process, its causes, and its effects.

As an elegant flock of birds traverses the virtually immeasurable sky, one may take note of several discrepancies in behavior and physical structure. If one were to theoretically travel several millennia forward in time, then he or she would be quite baffled to discover that this species has been completely altered. This outcome is a direct result of a ubiquitous phenomenon theorized by none other than Charles Darwin, a prestigious naturalist and biologist. This venerable man was able to unveil many revelations regarding variability through the development of his theory of natural selection (Darwin and Huxley xii). Having an inherent adoration toward nature as a young child likely provided a significant incentive. Though Darwin’s thesis is not immaculate by any standards he lived a successful life beyond this critical discovery and his legacy exists within his descendants (xii). In spite of being subject to perennial criticism it is essential to scrutinize not only the impact created by Darwin but his life in its complete grandeur.

Over time, different species learn to adapt to their living environment in order to survive. If a genetic change of a characteristic is passed down through generations, a formation of a new species occurs (G, Linstead et. al., 2012). A variation to the characteristic of an individual can increase its survival and this provides more opportunities to reproduce. When the individual reproduces, the offspring benefit in result of the heritable genes and eventually through generations, the variants will be spread throughout the entire population (Montgomery, 2009). Charles Darwin’s theory of natural selection can be supported through both fossils and homologous structures.

Darwin’s “descent of modification” phrase highlights his view of unity and diversity of life. Unity occurs as species descend from the common ancestors. Diversity occurs as the species are modified and evolve as they branch away from their ancestors. The mean by which this occurs is called “natural selection”. Darwin rationalized that certain individuals would be more likely to survive and reproduce than others. As generations went on, higher portions of the population would have traits that increased their survivability as long as the environment was stable. Darwin noted observations from nature to form his theory of natural selection. The observations were that there are traits in populations that varied from individual to individual and

Charles Darwin exposed his ideas on evolution by natural selection in a book called, 'The Origin of Species' (1859) where he stated that all species have descended from a common ancestor and therefore evolved into different species by what he called Natural Selection. He believed that phenotypic variation exists among individuals and that the variation is heritable. Also those individuals with heritable traits better suited to the environment they live in will survive and pass on their advantageous alleles to the next generation.

Natural selection is a key mechanism in evolution that explains how phenotypes that permit greater reproductive success can create large-scale changes and divergences in species or creatures. The core idea is that it happens over time by itself in nature through reproduction. This was a great contrast to many other theories at the time like Lamarck’s whose Theory of Inheritance of Acquired Characteristics stated that changes that happen to a creature during its lifetime will be passed down to its offspring. The best way to visualize Darwinian theory is through the Galapagos finches that helped lead Darwin to his finding. In the Galapagos Islands the finches on isolated islands all originated from the

Many scientists believe variations are caused by environmental factors, such as food availability, weather and more; and that species evolve when environmental conditions change to increase the species survival. Darwin censures this idea; he believed that the main cause of variation is due to reproduction (Chapter I). Darwin suggested that parents pass down specific characteristics to their offspring, and those variations are continued on in the following generations. The problem with Darwin’s theory of reproduction is that Darwin did not comprehend how or why some characteristics are perennial and how others are not. Darwin’s inferences on variations also conflict with the idea that God created species independently, which was widely understood by many people in a time where religion was prominent (Chapter II).

The variations in the beaks gave the finches the benefit to stay alive long enough to reproduce these traits and pass them on a generation. As these traits were passed down from generations to generation, this is how the finches, which were assumed to be one species evolved into the findings of thirteen different species. Moreover, Darwin called this “descent with modification.” The finches are the prefect example of this approached worked. The birds with beaks shaped that were better suited to get nectar from flowers or eating hard seeds; just as beaks which were suited for eating cactus had an advantage in the environments. Natural selections meaning can be simplified as to which traits have the advantage to survive and reproduce in the environment they are living in. This meaning should not be confused with believing that the environment itself creating different species, yet the most suitable species will survive against the ones with less useful traits.