Darwin's Theory of Natural Selection and the Evolution of Animals

The theory of evolution sets forth an explanation of how all of the living species on Earth came to be. The theory as we know it today, written by Charles Darwin, states that all the living species of today – humans included – evolved over time; we can see evidence of their evolution in the fossils of now-extinct species. In his book Origin of Species, published in 1859, Charles Darwin wrote that species evolve over time through a mechanism known as “natural selection.” Basically, each species is born with a multitude of traits, some more favorable to survival than others. Because some traits encourage survival more so than others, the animals equipped with those traits tend to breed more than the animals that lack those traits. Over time, more and more offspring are born with these favorable traits and less are born without them; thus, the species evolves. In his 1871 book, The Descent of Man and Selection in Relation to Sex, Darwin surmised that where humans are concerned, natural selection helped humans evolve in addition to a concept known as “sex selection.” Similar to natural selection, sex selection is the process by

On the Origin of Species was a breakthrough at the time. It contained radical ideas that many people weren't prepared to accept, the most widely known being that humans evolved from apes. There are many important ideas contained within Darwin's book. The first and foremost being: Darwin's belief that every species, living and extinct, originated from one individual species. Following this belief, Darwin concluded that organisms within a populace must compete for resources to survive. Also, the organisms within those individual populations will then show deviations, such as differently shaped beaks for different food sources. With these variations comes the inevitable fact that certain organisms will gain enhancements that will improve its ability to compete for resources or survive adversity. Considering this, it is no surprise that Darwin also theorized that those organisms with beneficial variations were more likely to survive and pass their characteristics

Darwin wrote a book “Natural Selection” and it was fun for me to read because his theories on natural and life evolutions are fascinating to learn. The idea that members of a species complete with each other for resources and that individuals that are better adapted to their lifestyles have a better chance of surviving to reproduce revolutionized the field of evolution. His idea was never approved or accepted for decades and today natural selection forms the basis for our understanding of how speeds changed over time. He discussed his theories in natural selection and two types of selection. So, I will be expanding these selections more, discuss his hypothesis and thesis, and how I response to these issues.

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.

Long ago, Darwin found a mechanism in the change of species (evolution), yet what he was missing was knowledge on the variation of change in a population, along with accounting for

Darwin was born in England and is most famous for his work on natural selection. He brought about the idea that all species of life have evolved over time from common ancestors. This process involves favourable traits participated in the process and became more common in successive generations of living things. At the same time, unfavourable features became less common. He presented compelling evidence from his detailed research that included a five-year voyage on the HMS Beagle, besides developing the idea of natural selection.

When Charles Darwin presented his theory of natural selection in On the Origin of Species he was aware that it would not easily be accepted. Darwin compares the struggle he anticipates to the challenges encountered in other scientific fields, writing, “The difficulty is the same as felt by so many geologists, when Lyell first insisted that long lines of island cliffs had been formed, and great valleys excavated, by the slow action of the coast-waves” (Darwin, 392). Darwin anticipates that his theory will be criticized in a similar manner to theories purposed by Lyell. Believing that these criticisms originate from the limitation of human understanding. Among these limitations is the opinion that natural selection has the same restraints as the selection practised by humans during domestication. Natural selection can improve all characteristics of an organism allowing it to adapt perfectly to its environment while human selection can only alter the visible appearance of animals for humanity’s benefit. An additional human limitation that must be overcome is the inability to understand the immense periods of time that Darwin associates with the variation between species. Darwin is critical of a human’s ability to comprehend such time frames, and as a result, worries they will dismiss his theory without understanding it. Darwin is aware that the reader must overcome the human limitations to understand the true capabilities of nature, and the vast quantities of time that are

Charles Darwin is the founder of Social Darwinism, as he created the theory of evolution by natural selection. Social Darwinism is the theory that people are subject to laws of natural selection.

Charles Darwin came up with the theory of “Natural Selection,” which explained how animals produce offspring that will replace them. The theory of “Natural Selection” also fits the phrase “survival of the fit,” which became (or evolved - how fitting) “survival of the fittest.” Basically, animals eventually adapt to their environments through evolution. The evolved organisms, or the “fittest,” will end up surviving better and longer than those that are not as adapted.

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 how animals evolve over time and develop traits that help them survive in their environment. Darwin's theory was directly related to psychologist William Jame's ideas of functionalism which was that different behavioral traits get passed down through their heredity or through learning from a prior generation. The study of heredity was still in early phases he believed that they could be passed down from human to human genetically. (Ciccarelli & White, 2015, p. 8) Both James's and Darwin's theories would mean that as people and animals adapt the genes that create a specific weaker traits begin to make the holders of those genes die out over time, until the gene is completely removed. This is why people use the term selected

Charles Darwin broached the theory of natural selection in his book the Origin of Species, which has been considered the basis of evolutionary biology to this day. Natural selection is when populations of a species evolve over the course of many generations. Darwin believed that species were not created separately, but instead, species were derived from one another. In other words, the evolution of species creates many variations among creatures, and this is because all of those species came from a common ancestor, and characteristics changed to increase the species chance of survival.

Charles Darwin arrived at his theory of evolution and natural selection and created a societal transformation within the science world. Darwin’s theory of evolution consisted of two main points: different groups of organisms evolve from one or a few common ancestors, and, the method by which this evolution occurs is the process of natural selection. Primarily, evolution is change in characteristics that produces over successive generations, a new version, better suited to its new environment. Types of evolution include adaptive radiation, which defines the evolution where many different 'new species' form from an original species. As the original population increases, it separates from its centre of origin, perhaps because of natural disasters

Evolutionary theory was developed by Charles Darwin and documented in his book ‘On the Origin of Species’ (1859). In it’s most simplistic terms it explains how and why animals, including humans, have changed and evolved over time to become the way they are. One of his more well known and supported theories illustrated in his book is the theory of evolution by natural selection. This says that within species certain individuals will hold more beneficial traits than others, these individuals will then go on to outlive other individuals who hold fewer desirable traits. They will then mate and produce offspring who will carry forward their genetics increasing the likelihood of the next generation also possessing the desirable traits. For example, during the Industrial Revolution in the 1800’s peppered moths which would usually have black and white speckles on their wings, started turning black. The increased use