Darwin's Theory Of Evolution By Natural Selection

1098 Words5 Pages

Darwin's theory of evolution is a widely held concept that all life is related through the descent of a common ancestor with modification. It presumes the development of life from non-life and how complex creatures evolve over time from more simplistic ancestors by a process called natural selection. From generation to generation, natural selection occurs from differences in survival, fertility, rate of development, mating success, heritable variations (i.e size, shape, behavior, color) among organisms or changes in traits that eventually confer an advantage in the competition for resources. As Darwin observed different species, he noticed how creatures that carry these variations and survive the “struggle for existence” pass on their heritable traits or traits that …show more content…

It is because of these similarities that indicate why species evolve from a common ancestor in the evolutionary theory. As a result this concept became known as molecular homology. Not only are organisms made of cells that contain similar structures such as the nuclei (animal versus plant), but many species share genetic similarities as well that allow them to reveal their descension from a common ancestor. In fact, the DNA code itself is a homology that links all life on Earth to a common ancestor. For example, all vertebrate animals have backbones because of the genetic transfer of information within cells that allows cells to take up new instructions in making of the body. It is mainly the shared characteristics between species that allows two species to separate from an alike lineage, resulting in biological diversity. Also, homologous chromosomes is another reason why species share similar characteristics as well. Therefore, molecular homology demonstrates a pattern of species resemblances from a common ancestor due to closely related DNA sequences at the molecular