Natural Selection Vs Evolution

Evolution is a change in the characteristic of living organism through time. Modern synthesis, one of the greatest intellectual achievements of biology, could explain how mutations and natural selection could produced large-scale evolutionary change. There are 4 mechanisms for evolution to occur; mutation, gene flow, genetic drift and natural selection.
Although, there are a number of misconceptions about evolution; it does not explain the origins of life, it is not progressive, natural selection is not about the survival of the fittest individuals in a population, humans are not currently evolving, it does not make organism better designed nor does it gives organism what they need to survive. This essay will describe further, 3 common misconceptions

As a naturalist, Darwin discovered how the type species interact differently from the species from other locations that were nearby. That discovery concluded to be the proposal of “natural selection,” which is a principle that explains that nature selects the

In what he called the ‘survival of the fittest’, Darwin suggested that through the process of natural selection animals with particular characteristics, as a result of possessing advantageous alleles, will survive. However, those with maladaptive genes cannot adapt to changes in environmental conditions, so will die or become extinct. Dowling (1994) stated that this process depends on three principles: species diversity, interaction and the spread of a species as a result of differential amplification. Sexual selection is another component of Darwin’s research, which explains the best strategies adopted for passing on genes to offspring. Moreover, there are problems with Darwin’s theory such as his attempts to generalise animal behaviour to the way in which humans interact in their environment. However, he has presented compelling evidence which is very scientific in its approach and methodology. Furthermore, contrary to Darwin’s evolutionary idea of survival of an individual, Dawkins (1976) suggested that the survival of the genes is more important.

Those who survive produce more offspring to pass on their adaptive and advantageous genes. Darwin also uses Inference to the Best Explanation to explain his theory of Natural Selection. Darwin found many biological pieces of evidence to support natural selection, rather than random forces or God, causing species and populations to change. Darwin inferred that natural selection was the better reasoning to explain the anomalies he found. There are many pieces of evidence that support his theory.

“These birds look similar to each other in plumage and song, yet closer observation reveals that they all differ from one another in how their beaks look and work” (Abzhanov, A., 2010). Darwin believed that if given enough time, a species would adapt to its environment, “It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is most adaptable to change” (Darwin, C., 1859). Charles Darwin recognized that natural selection was the primary factor for evolution, not limited to only birds and plants, but to humans as well.

"Much has been written on whether or not the Darwinian theory was original. Inevitably, historians have concluded that there was little novelty in what Darwin and Wallace were saying. Down through the centuries, from ancient Greek times on, various writers have suggested that new species can arise through the modification of old and that among all the possible organic types, the world contains only those that can survive the struggle for life." (8)

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.

If members of a species show variation, and there is a struggle for existence, then any sort of trait that carries some small (or large) advantage to survival is likely to be transmitted to the next generation. By being able to survive better, these members of a species are able to reproduce more, leading to a tendency to pass down that advantaged trait more often to their offspring. This repeats ad absurdum, leading to evolution and survival of the fittest. Survival of the fittest counters Paley’s second and third premises; that of there are two possibilities for how organisms came to be perfect for their environments and that it must be design by a designer. Darwin proposes an alternative explanation for evolution as discussed above.

They have proposed the biological competition for survival with each other; through the mechanism of natural selection, organisms evolving ideas. However; Darwin believed that prompting biological evolution may have a number of mechanisms; natural selection is just one of them. Wallace not.

Charles Darwin created the theory of Darwinism, also known as, survival of the fittest. As an example of Darwinism, there are 10 white moths and 10 black moths in a forest. This said forest is full of white oak trees. The white moths are more adapted to their surroundings because of the colors; they can blend in. This helps them hide from predators like birds, and continue natural reproduction to keep the white moth population stable. All the while, the black moths will have a harder time hiding while looking for food or living in general. Predators will easily find the black moths, stopping them from reproducing. The ratio of black to white moth population, is much in favor of the white moths.

Evolution is a change in the genetic makeup of a population over time, with natural selection its major driving mechanism. Darwin’s theory, which is supported by evidence from many scientific disciplines, states that inheritable variations occur in individuals in a population. Due to competition for limited resources, individuals with more favorable variations or phenotypes are more likely to survive and produce more offspring, thus passing traits to future generations. In addition to the process of natural selection, naturally occurring catastrophic and human induced events as well as random environmental changes can result in alteration in the gene pools of populations. Small populations are especially sensitive to these forces. A diverse

Charles Darwin's theory of evolution centres on the idea that species compete to survive, and favorable characteristics are passed on from one generation to the next. Darwin said that evolution took place by a process of natural selection or survival of the fittest. This meant that the animals and plants best suited to their surroundings survived and were able to pass on their genes to their offspring. The ones that weren't best suited died off and didn't get the chance to reproduce.

Both Wallace and Darwin explored the proposals that had been set forth by the likes of Lamarck, Lyell, and Thomas Malthus. In 1858 the Linnaean Society of London published the contributions of both Wallace and Darwin, which although had significant differences shared the framework of proposing decent with modification based on natural selection. The principle of natural selection provides the rationale of how changes occur in a species over time. It represents the sum total of all environmental factors exerting pressure on a species. The pressure either benefits an organism that has a favorable variation; triggering a natural advantage to the survival value of that organism/species, or either the pressure exposes weaknesses in an organism/species that has unfavorable variations. Unfavorable

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).