Evolution

Who was Charles Darwin?

He lives from 1809-1882. He served on the HMS Beagle that sailed on a 5 year expedition. One of the island they went to was the Galápagos Islands west of South America.

What did Darwin see and hypothesize?

He saw and collected many species of finches. He saw the shapes of their beaks were different and theorized that a few birds migrated from the mainland and adapted to the different island environments.

Who were Hutton and Lyell?

They came up with the idea for uniformitarisnism. That is small changes over time. Canyons and mountains let them to believe this.

Who was Jean Baptiste Lemark?

He was one of the first scientists to recognize that living things have changed overtime.

What are the 3 ideas behind Baptistes theory of evolution?

1. All organisms are continually changing to reach perfection.

2. Organisms can alter their bodies by the principle of use and disuse.

3. Acquired characteristics could be inherited

Who was Thomas Malthus.

An economist who stated that if the human population continued to grow, sooner or later there would not be enough resources for everyone.

What did Darwin publish?

On the Origin of Species

What did Darwin Propose?

He proposed natural selection. This is when organisms change over time with survival of the fittest.

What is the first point of Darwin’s natural selection?

When organisms compete for resources there is a struggle for existence, meaning that some organisms die.

What is the second point of Darwin’s natural selection?

The ability of an individual to survive results in how well adapted it is to its environment.

What is Darwin’s third point for natural selection?

Over long periods of time, natural selection produces organisms that are different from their ancestors. This was called descent with Modification.

Describe the Tree of Life