The Evolution Of The Geological And Biological Science

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,

There were many varying views concerning the Natural World before Darwinian. Firstly, the Greeks believed that the world would never end. In contrast, Judeo-Christians believed that the world would end rather fast because it was so young (Lavenda and Schultz 31). Essentialism, the great chain of being, catastrophism and uniformitarianism, and the transformational evolution were all different perspectives individuals had about the natural world. Essentialism refers to the world not altering or changing in any way. This means that all things within the world do not alter either. The great chain of being refers to the three principles, continuity, plentitude, and unilinear. Catastrophism refers to the reason for extinction. Based on Catastrophism

Charles Darwin was one of the first scientists of the 19th century that theorized the concept of evolution. Scientists at the time had realized that species had evolved from primitive forms, but did not know exactly how this happened. Darwin’s studies began while on a ship traveling around the world with the English navy. After exploring the Galapagos islands of the Pacific, Darwin realized that animals adapted to local conditions to change themselves to survive. He also saw that this was not just the case for animals, but humans too.

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).

Charles Darwin originally had an idea of which animals in a changing environment will change with it. That is

Using the material covered in this lesson, and in my own research, the work of Charles Lyell impacted the development of Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution by changing the idea of time. While Dawin was on his voyage to the Southern hemisphere on the Beagle, he read much of Charles Lyell’s contribution to geology. What stood out to him the most was how Lyell was arguing for a greater time span of Earths existence due to the fact that it would a require a great amount of time to form what was observed during his life time. He claimed that Earths surface formation went through occurring small changes that were molding its form. However while unrelated to the findings that Charles Darwin was trying to deduce based of his new variable “time”,

Darwin argues that this change is not by God, but by the best qualities of a species being passed to their offspring for optimum survival. Agassiz believed in catastrophes and that after each global event, fresh and more skilled species were created. Agassiz argues that the species were “categories of though embodied in individual living forms.” This was God’s idea of a clean slate with better qualities for these new species. Darwin’s notion of natural selection and his example of “finchness” contradicts this idea. Menand argues, “‘Finchness’ is a variable, not a constant…No intelligence, divine or otherwise, determines in advance the relative value of individual variations, and there is no ideal type of ‘finch,’ or essence of ‘finchness,’ toward which adaptive changes are leading”

Background information: Jean-Baptiste Lamarck and Charles Darwin both thought and had ideas on how life on Earth got to be the way it is now. Unlike lots other people at that time (1800’s), they both thought that life had changed gradually over many years and an extended time and was still changing, that living things change to be better suited and adapted to their environments. Lamarck is best known for his Theory of Inheritance of Acquired Characteristics. He said that change is made by what the organisms want or need. For example, Lamarck believed that giraffes stretched their necks to reach food. Their descendants and later generations inherited the resulting long necks. Lamarck also believed that evolution happens according to a prearranged plan and that the results have already been decided. (NECSI, 2012). Darwin, on the other hand said that organisms are all different and that those which happen to have variations that help them to survive in their environments survive and have more offspring. The offspring are born with their parents ' helpful traits, and as they reproduce, individuals with that trait make up more of the population. Other individuals, that are not so well altered, die off. Darwin also believed that evolution does not happen according to any sort of plan.

Evolution is a scientific theory that was first introduced in the mid 1800’s and it refers to the biological changes that take place within a population of a specific species over the course of many generations. This theory was one of the most scientifically groundbreaking discoveries of our time, and since its discovery, scientists have been working hard to find more and more evidence on the subject. Although there is much controversy on the subject of evolution, it is hard to ignore the facts and observations that strongly support it. In the first chapter of Science, Evolution and Creationism by the National Academy of Scientists, it explores different scientific discoveries and observations which even further confirm the

On Darwin’s exhibition, he brought with him Principles of Geography by Charles Lyell which discussed the idea of uniformitarianism (Bowler, 2009, p.150). This idea is in regards to how geography has been shaped relying on the concept of slow mechanisms of change. These mechanisms are the same mechanisms we see at work today and they have been working at a uniform rate throughout history. Darwin came to accept this theory after witnessing how an earthquake raised a coastline in Chile, coming to the

Jean-Baptiste Lamarck (1755-1829) is one of the best-known early evolutionists, holding a belief that evolution was a continuous development and strived toward greater complexity and perfection. Through which, his theory of evolution was that living organisms evolved in a unceasingly up ward direction, from dead matter, through simple to more complex forms and towards human “perfection” (Nesci.edu, 2015). From his theories of Inheritance of Acquired Characteristics; where organisms adapt to their environments and those changes were passed onto their off springs (Corbis, 2001), to his theories of Use and Disuse, where organisms that are not used progressively disappear (Evolution.berkeley.edu, 2015). Lamarck was the first biologist to publish

In the summer of 1821 Lyell visited his old school at Sussex and became very curious about the geology of Sussex. In 1827 he finally left the legal profession and devoted himself to Geology. At this time he had already began to plan his chief work The principles of Geology. " This gives the keynote of the task to which Lyell devoted his life" (Boyer 568). In this book Lyell discusses his theory that shows that in the course of gradual changes, species after species of living creatures had become extinct through inability to adapt them selves to changed environments. The first volume of the Principles of Geology appeared in 1830, the

Every major theme of science is built upon a foundation where later discoveries become building blocks upon the foundation. Every once in a while, an idea that is more accurate will arise, and it will create a scientific revolution and replace the foundation so that a new “structure” can be built. This kind of paradigm shift has occurred numerous times in history and many speculate it will happen again as more scientists research epigenetics. This theory takes root in the idea that change in gene expression (not the gene itself) can be triggered by external forces (i.e. environment), and said change can be inherited. Although many argue that epigenetics will cause a scientific revolution as the antithesis to Darwinian evolution, people are not taking into account that it can be integrated into the current framework. Research by Heijmans et al., Skinner et al., and Joubert et al. have shown that change in gene expression (also referred to as epigenetic mutation) is not only a crucial facet of evolution, but is also similar to genetic mutation and thus able to work in tandem with Darwinian evolution.

Evolution is the process by which the majority of different kinds of living organisms are presumed to have developed and differentiated from earlier forms during the history of the earth. It is described as a variation of an organism to allow it to adapt to a new surrounding. The change is often very significant that a new species is formed (Scott,2014). As scientists engrossed in the theory of evolution, speculations about animals started to get involved. Camels are seemingly obvious examples that evolution occurred. Features that have captivated scientist to examine the camel include their long eyelashes, ability to close their nostrils, long & strong legs, thick fur & under-wool, thick leather-like patches just below the knees and the fat stored in their humps (Jason C. Chavis. 2010).

As I am reaching the end of this course, I am looking forward to put my learning experiences into my practice of nursing. This course was very productive. Specifically, these nursing theories help me to generate further my nursing knowledge, by giving me a sense of identity. I learned how nursing theory can help my patients, the managers and other health care professionals to recognize the unique contribution that nurses make to the health care service. Furthermore, this course helps me as a nurse to understand my purpose and role in the health care setting.