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Charles Darwin's Theory Of Natural Selection

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Although Charles Darwin is credited for the theory of natural selection, many scientific ‘giants’ influenced the direction of Darwin’s thinking. Since the beginning of eighteenth century, scientists such as Carl Linnaeus, Charles Lyell, Jean-Baptiste Lamarck, and Thomas Malthus, formulated theories about the change in species over generations. Carl Linnaeus, a taxonomist and zoologist born in 1707, was the first scientist to group humans, primates, monkeys, and apes together in the same classification. Linnaeus stated in 1747 that, he could not find no “...general difference between men and simian from the principles of Natural History.” Although Linnaeus still believed in a static number of unchanging species put forth by a divine creator, …show more content…

Darwin claimed the forces that shaped the earth--- weathering, exposure, deposition, and lithification-- are echoed in the biological world but in reproduction, competition, and inheritance. Moreover, Lyell also recognized that species have changed. As he claimed in the Principles of Geology, “...it appears that the species have changed.” However, he still believed in an infinite and divine being had some effect in the creation of life. He argued, how could “...so vast a scheme of the perfect harmony of design and unit of purpose… to those existing plant and animals…” be created without the aid of an Eternal Being. Jean-Baptiste Lamarck, a zoologist in the eighteenth and nineteenth century, noticed the different environments caused the wide variations between aquatic animals. In his book Hydrogeologie, Lamarck outlines the how fish became land dwelling creatures, “…by the different environment provided by the waters, nature led them a little by little to the habit of living in the air, first by the water’s edge and afterward on all the dry parts of the globe. Animals have in course of time been profoundly altered by such novel conditions; which so greatly influenced their habits and organs.” Lamarck was one of the first scientists to notice the variations between the same or similar species in different environments, which Darwin would eventually describe as natural

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After observing finch specimens from the Galapagos, Darwin concluded that species must have an ability to alter over time. Darwin then proposed that as species modified, and as old species disappeared, new versions could be presented.

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In the paper, “Origin of Species”, author Ray Comfort presents opinions and non-supported assumptions to discredit the contributes of Charles Darwin to science literary. Charles Darwin contributions to science by his data, theories, and arguments for evolution by natural selection as exceptionally important in how scientist today classify and explanation evolution acting in nature. From variation in phenotype to the passing of favorable traits to succeeding generations, to how life itself become about set the foundation for scientist then and now to investigate natural phenomena all around us. Furthermore, this is why we, as scientist, should evaluate the validity of Darwin’s conclusions/statements in regard to evolution is a more appropriate

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Charles Darwin’s groundbreaking discovery on evolution during the mid 19th century shocked the minds of many. The idea that man is simply not a product of God but instead, “descended from a less highly organized form…for the close similarity between man and the lower animals in embryonic development, as well as innumerable points of structure and constitution” (Lualdi,183). The legitimacy of the Bible began to be questioned, Scientists began using the theory to shape their conclusions, and governments began using Darwin’s “survival of the fittest” logistics as a means to justify taking control over foreign land. Darwin’s Theory of evolution became a prominent asset in relation to works of religion, scientists, and politics that would shape

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Based on Catholic doctrine, the Victorian society in which Darwin lived, believed that God created all existence “perfect and unchangeable” due to the literal interpretation of the Bible (Barrett, Rubin & Holt, 2010; Rice & Moloney, 2008: 40). Through Darwin’s theory of natural selection & variation of living forms, he proved scientifically that creature and plant species in fact evolved – they change to adapt and survive in their environment (Rice et al., 2008:56-57; Barrett et al., 2010). Darwin therefore brought into question their truth as represented by religion which formed the foundation of societal culture and belief at the time and resurfaced questions previously explained by creation scientists and intelligent design theorists through concepts such as providential design (Scupin & DeCorse, 2015: 67; Howard, 2001:92). Darwin brought into question what society knew and accepted in faith as an unshakable truth. For this Darwin was heavily criticised.

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Pre-Darwinian explanations for the origin of diversity did not involve evolution, but were often accredited to the supernatural or spontaneous generation. Darwin’s new way of approaching evolution was not influenced by Lamarck or any predecessor mainly because they were concerned with vertical evolution, while Darwin focused more on horizontal evolution. Vertical evolution involves the transition of acquired genetic material from their parents or ancestors, while in horizontal evolution organisms acquire these traits from other organisms around

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Darwin noticed that ecosystems in different parts of the world have some similar, but unique organisms. For example, he found large flightless birds in the grasslands of Australia, Africa, and

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Seth Justus English 2 Mr. Johnson Project Eagle Paper on Charles Darwin Thesis Statement: Charles Darwin shaped evolutionary Biology into the way we see it today with his writings on how genetic variations of species between generations, how climate and many other things can cause variations between species, and just his idea of survival of the fittest in The Origin of Species. Primary Source: The Origin of Species The Origin of Species by Charles Darwin, published on November 24th 1859 is considered to be the foundation to evolutionary biology. The Origin of Species introduces the scientific theory that populations of species evolve over long periods of time through the process of Natural Selection.

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Darwin used fossil records, hybridism geographical distribution contributions as evidence to his theory. Lyell was one of the most outspoken advocates of the concepts of uniformitarianism, which held that the same geological processes that are happening today have existed largely in their current state throughout all of geologic time. From the uniformitarian perspective, it was obvious that the Earth must have existed for an immense period of time; the measured rates of geologic change, e.g. erosion and uplift, were far too gradual to create the today’s shape of Earth's surface without it taking millions and millions of years. Lyell's dispute for age not only persuaded Darwin, but it also greatly influenced his view on the origin of species by providing a time period large enough to make natural selection possible. Lyell cautiously avoided efforts to calculate Earth's age.

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For centuries, questions and mysterious that surrounded the origins of human and creatures had been explained through religion and beliefs. It was until the mid-1800s, when the ideas of an English naturalist and geologist, Charles Darwin made a breakthrough in the history of science, which will forever change and expand our understanding of the world, its inhabitants, and the human race. Darwin’s theory of evolution based on natural selection soon advocated the scientific approach of explaining the many species that live today, but most importantly, his discovery showed us how we and all the other living things interact and share some connection. The documentary series, Beyond Genesis: Origin of Species by Charles Darwin presented the scientific journey Charles Darwin began in which his ideas brought new knowledge and understanding mankind and the purpose we hold in our universe.

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For millennia, the age-old question of mankind’s origins as well as the origins of all life has been unequivocally answered by the dominant force that is religion. Throughout this time, stories like those of Genesis as stated in the Bible have maintained a monopoly on belief about life’s beginning and have enjoyed their unrivaled influence. In the last century and a half, however, a richer, stronger, and in my view, more compelling argument has come to fruition: Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution. Darwin’s seminal work, On the Origin of Species, published in 1859, has provided the sturdy foundations for the solidification of his theory that random variation plus natural selection links all living things to a common ancestor.

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Some of Darwin’s influencers were Charles Lyell, Thomas Malthus, and Gregor Mendel, who familiarized him with geology, proposed that the earth was eons of years old, introduced the idea of competition between organisms, and how it affects survival and reproducing, and showed that traits are inherited. Using his observations and scientific influences, Darwin formulated his hypothesis of the Theory of Natural Selection, which was that organisms most adapted to their environment would survive to the next generation and pass on their traits. Natural selection is any external factor that regulates population size. The blueprint for this theory was hereditary variation combined with the struggle for survival through competition would result in the survival of the fittest by natural selection. Darwin attempted to explain natural selection through breeding experiments with pigeons, and recorded other results from breeders of different animals.

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Up until this point in time, most naturalist believed that species were created over the course of natural history or that they came into being at the start of the world. In both of these scenarios it was believed that the species remained generally the same throughout time. On the voyage however, Darwin noticed that there were similarities among species all over the globe. There were even variations based on specific locations. These findings led him to believe that the species had evolved over time from a common ancestor.

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Charles Darwin, a British naturalist originated the pro founding theory of Natural selection gave a revolutionary on biology and also on Philosophy, theology and history. His idea of natural selection created discontents among scientists and religious leaders during that period of time. The era of Christianity, supported by Enlightenment and the hope of better future by people. Simplifying a complex picture one can differentiate during the time of Darwin in the way of looking at world. 1.

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Marguerite Johnson, the main character of "Mrs. Flowers" by Maya Angelou, became selectively mute and emotionally scarred due to a traumatic incident. But when Marguerite meets a wise woman named Mrs. Flowers, she is able to find her voice again and discover the incredible power of words and the human voice. Through Marguerite's healing process and discovery, the theme is revealed, which is: words have the power to heal. This theme is shown when the two were walking to Mrs. Flowers's house. Mrs. Flowers tells Marguerite, " ' Now, no one is going to make you talk- possibly no one can.

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By the summer of 1837 Darwin was convinced that species undergo evolution by means of natural selection. It was clear to him that species was modifiable and these changes occur by natural processes, but he wasn’t sure how the exact mechanisms of the processes. Darwin began keeping track of these speculations in notebooks. The first four of his notebooks are referred to as B, C, D, E by Darwin and commonly referred to as Notebooks of Transmission. These notebooks allow us to observe Darwin’s meticulous journey of developing his theory of evolution by natural selection over the fifteen-month journey.

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