StudentShare
Contact Us
Sign In / Sign Up for FREE
Search
Go to advanced search...
Free

Charles Darwins Evolution Theory - Essay Example

Cite this document
Summary
The paper 'Charles Darwin’s Evolution Theory' focuses on one of the memorable scientific research that has marveled many scholars up to date. Many scientific fields offer credit to Darwin’s natural selection some of which include genetic, geology, and developmental biology…
Download full paper File format: .doc, available for editing
GRAB THE BEST PAPER97.2% of users find it useful
Charles Darwins Evolution Theory
Read Text Preview

Extract of sample "Charles Darwins Evolution Theory"

Theory of Natural Selection affiliation The evolution theory Charles Darwin’s evolution theory by naturalselection stands out as one of the memorable scientific research that has marveled many scholars up to date (Maynard-smith, 2003). Many scientific fields offer credit to Darwin’s natural selection some of which include genetic, geology and developmental biology. Darwin was not the first one to come up with theories of origin, other theories exist but evolution by natural selection stands out to be the best of all explaining precisely in depth the course of origin of life and survival, closely supported by evidence gathered during Darwin’s journey around the globe. The approach with which Darwin digs up information supported by tangible evidence stands undisputed and only attracts keen interest to study further having this antiquity as the foundation on which to build more knowledge. According to Charles Darwin, several factors influenced the existence and survival of certain species of organism. For an organism to have grown and attained maturity to reproduce several environmental and genetic factors play an essential role. In trying to elaborate on how certain species of organisms survived up to date while others got extinct Darwin presented a number of stages that determined the existence of living organism (Pagel, 2009). An organism was to appropriately fit into these stages in order to reach maturity and reproduce as well as survive in the stiff ecological competition and changes. All species have unique traits encoded in their genetic make-up, the population must reproduce in greater numbers in each generation to survive and reproduce. The individuals who survive in the population possess certain advantageous traits over others then after successfully passing through the first three stages the organism in the population. It is the combination of these factors that animals are found to change with time owing to heritable behavioural and physical characterizes. Natural selection greatly determines how certain species significantly change in colour, size and survival traits through a number of generations. Genetic variation is responsible for various physiological and outward characterizes on organisms (Fay & Wittkopp, 2008). For instance the size and colour of an organism is determined by the gene coding that is already prewired before birth. Due to genetic differences there existed brown and green battles. This color difference plays a significant role in determining survival of these beetles depending on their immediate environment. In this case colour difference in beetle species is a heritable variation. According to Charles Darwin, for any animal population to continue existing, they must reproduce in large numbers to overcome all uncertainties of environmental factors that can make them extinct. In the environment those animals with suitable characteristic grow in numbers through reproduction making them less vulnerable to extinction. Comparing the beetle population with different colours, those with green colour were often preyed on by bird since the environment in which they were made them more conspicuous than the brown beetle. As a result their number reduced drastically such that only a few grew to maturity to reproduce and finally were eliminated from the environment. On the other hand brown beetle coumflaged to the environment making them less preyed on by birds, this made most of them grow to maturity and reproduce in larger numbers making them survive long in the environment. Brown color being a survival trait is passed on from one generation of beetles to another through genetic inheritance. A lot more brown beetles are reproduced each generation making them resistant to extinction. As the number grows better survival traits are acquired through crossbreeding and mixing of genes. This trend is vital to the survival of organism since acquisition of new traits helps them conform to the environmental changes and food chain competition than the ancestral organism. The generation of beetles that has the best traits for survival and reproduction are fit in the natural system of selection. This implies that the population of a certain population of organism has the ability to effectively adapt to environmental changes and is able to brave environmental threats against their existence. Referring back to the beetle population, brown ones have the advantageous character over the green ones since they are favoured by the environment. Focusing on several future generation of the beetle population it is likely that the brown beetles will form the entire population because the green ones get extinct since their colour does not guarantee their survival. Darwin also brings in evolutionary fitness of living things as the main theme of natural selection. He argues that the ability to reproduce and consistently survive is the true determines of fitness since they are vital in influencing the population of organisms in the environment. There is a clear difference between fitness and the total number of certain animal species in the environment, fitness is more of the ability of the organisms to pass on favourable and survival traits from one generation to another through genetic inheritance. In finding further meaning of fitness, an organism that has good reproduction and survival characteristic may not qualify the definition of fitness if these traits are not carried on to the offspring as well as if the offspring were delicate and fewer in numbers to survive. As compared to other theories of origin and evolution, the theory of evolution by natural selection identifies that individual organism survive in the environment because of inherited functional dissimilarities which are transferred to a new generation. Natural selection has various facets that shape up the survival and reproduction of an organism in the environment, they come as directional,indirect,stabilizers and disruptive all affecting different organisms at varied strength. Moreover, there is a rich source of evidence availed as fossils and typical examples of living things that have cruised through all these stages of natural selection. This simply isolates Darwin’s theory as the most advanced and prolific in advancing scientific research on the exodus of survival in organisms. Driving forces for evolutionary change Evolution has been fuelled by a number of interrelated factors that are internal and external to an organism. Genetic drift which is a randomized process pivotal in determining the alleles that survives. This implies that a significant change in allele frequency takes progressing from one generation to another, allele tend to grow stronger or weaker depending on the external selective factors. This therefore explains how some traits get extinct over years while others grow prominent (Stephens, 2004). Another driving force is mutation that entails noticeable alterations of DNA in organism. These basic changes also influence somatic characteristics and physiological adaptability of an organism either by favouring its existence or working against survival. Organisms that attain favourable chemical DNA changes such as acquiring resistance to certain environmental factors such as diseases are able to survive long enough to attain maturity and reproduce. Ecological interaction of different organisms also formed a special driving force in the path of evolution. Most species were in a constant struggle for survival depending on the position they occupied in the food chain, organisms evolved to secure better chance of obtaining food and avoiding being a meal for another. Animals had to shape up and adapt to the changing ecological factors that influenced their interaction. The whole essence of species interaction is to create genetically different organism that survive better in the environment than their ancestors. All these factors equally exhibit the same characteristics that modify evolution that are also postulated by Darwin in his evolution theory of natural selection. The common denominator here is that at the driving forces refines an organism to survive long in the environment by facilitating acquisition of favourable genetic and somatic traits. Finally, Darwin’s evolution of natural selection succinctly explains how environmental factors shape supper survival traits out of primitive forms of life. Heredity, reproduction, passing of suitable traits to a new generation and adaptation play an important role in determining the survival or extinction of an organism (Frank, 2009). Closely related are factors that fuel evolution and the need to acquire better survival traits, genetic mutation, gene drift and environmental interaction necessitate acquisition of new physiological and genetic traits. Though there have been other evolution theories by other scientists, Darwin’s natural selection is conspicuously isolated as a better scientific explanation of observed changes in animal traits as it is supported by vast sources of scientific evidence. References Fay, J. C., & Wittkopp, P. J. (2008). Evaluating the role of natural selection in the evolution of gene regulation. Heredity, 100, 191–199. doi:10.1038/sj.hdy.6801000 Frank, S. A. (2009). Natural selection maximizes Fisher information. Journal of Evolutionary Biology. doi:10.1111/j.1420-9101.2008.01647.x Maynard-smith, J. (2003). Evolution by natural selection : more evidence than ever before. Commentary, 76, 699–716. doi:10.4067/S0716-078X2003000400012 Pagel, M. (2009). Natural selection 150 years on. Nature, 457, 808–811. doi:10.1038/nature07889 Stephens, C. (2004). Selection, Drift, and the “Forces” of Evolution*. Philosophy of Science. doi:10.1086/423751  Read More
Cite this document
  • APA
  • MLA
  • CHICAGO
(Charles Darwins Evolution Theory Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words, n.d.)
Charles Darwins Evolution Theory Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words. https://studentshare.org/biology/1862280-darwins-theory
(Charles Darwins Evolution Theory Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 Words)
Charles Darwins Evolution Theory Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 Words. https://studentshare.org/biology/1862280-darwins-theory.
“Charles Darwins Evolution Theory Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 Words”. https://studentshare.org/biology/1862280-darwins-theory.
  • Cited: 0 times

CHECK THESE SAMPLES OF Charles Darwins Evolution Theory

Critique of the Article on Werewolves

In the conclusion part of the essay, the writer manages to conclude that Darwin's theory of evolution could have been the biggest contributing factor to the loss of these creatures from the world.... Support In the essay, the use of the Darwin theory backs the author's ideas and opinions, making his arguments concrete and real.... However, the use of a scientific theory successfully proves that somehow these creatures were in existence and vanished through the evolution process....
4 Pages (1000 words) Essay

The Meaning Of The Cambrian Explosion

What is the difference between science & belief theory & storyDavid Campbell remarks that in a nation with evangelical Protestantism and various other religious traditions that stress on biblical readings and believe in God as supreme creator of every species, it is obvious that students will fear evolution and even science.... The basic confusion of the word "science" being related to "theory" and "belief" arises from the everyday changing meaning of the word and their usage in science....
4 Pages (1000 words) Essay

Summary of a biology article

According to his evolution theory changes in the environment might result in divergence of species based on which environment they best adapt.... Darwin's theory of evolution asserts that variation within the same species is a random phenomenon and survival or extinction of an organism is based on its ability to adapt to its environment in which it exists.... Thus this is proof of Darwin's theory of evolution that many species originate from a single ancestor and depending on the habitat they either continue to live in that environment or migrate to another favorable environment....
2 Pages (500 words) Essay

Class scientific literacy

Darwin's theory of Evolution by means of what he calls natural selection (Bryson, 2003) is one of the most essential and most fundamental theories of how man evolved and came to be.... There were even reactions as far as the religion sectors especially since Darwin's theory contradicted teachings from the Bible.... If not for his discovery, other scientists would not have had a basic idea to work on and initiate further studies on the subject of evolution....
2 Pages (500 words) Essay

The Theory of Evolution and the Churchs Teaching About Creation in the Genesis

The theory of Evolution itself debunks the Church's teaching about creation in the Genesis of the Bible.... Darwin's theory of Evolution challenged this that there was no such thing as creation but rather an evolution of the species that involves natural selection or survival of the fittest.... Darwin's theory of Evolution challenged this that there was no such thing as creation but rather an evolution of the species that involves natural selection or survival of the fittest....
1 Pages (250 words) Essay

Morality in World History

It includes efforts to define morality on a wider scope in reference to Darwin's theory on the Descent of Man.... The theory dictates that morality is a unique human… This means that the morality issue associates with humans only.... It includes efforts to define morality on a wider scope in reference to Darwin's theory on the Descent of Man.... The theory dictates that morality is a unique human attribute not present in other animals in the world....
2 Pages (500 words) Essay

Darwins Theory of Evolution by Natural Selection

This states that evolutionary change occurs through production of variation in generations, as well as the differential survival of individuals with different combinations of the variable characteristics… Through reproduction and inheritance of character, these variants are spread through the population over time. The first factor that influenced Darwin to develop the theory was through observation of the natural world around him.... He realized that Darwin's theory of Evolution by Natural Selection 14-Sep-16 Darwin's theory of Evolution by Natural Selection Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection is his most famous....
1 Pages (250 words) Coursework

Andrea and Overfield, The Human Record, Sources of Global History Vol. II (Cengage) hereafter AO

This concept is based on the theory of Charles Darwin's theories of evolution whereby people should be left on their own to compete and advocated a laissez-faire political and economic system that promotes competition in all spheres of life.... Before the Industrial Revolution, people can either be categorized as the royalties, landowners or the bourgeoisie and the peasants where the bourgeoisie are… This was changed with the advent of Industrial Revolution as it created the working class or the middle class. The conditions of the middle are far better compared to the peasants who lived merely on subsistence....
2 Pages (500 words) Essay
sponsored ads
We use cookies to create the best experience for you. Keep on browsing if you are OK with that, or find out how to manage cookies.
Contact Us