B15.2-3 Theories Of Evolution And Charles Darwin

Question 1

What did Jean Baptiste Lamarck do ?

Answer 1

He created an initial theory of evolution
- organism acquire/ develop traits that help them adapt to the environment
These characteristics were then passed onto offspring

Question 2

Why were Jean Baptiste Lamarcks theories of evolution rejected ?

Answer 2

Widely rejected as it was not supported and later disproven by evidence

Question 3

What did Charles Darwin do ?

Answer 3

The theory of evolution: Natural selection
- he knew variation was present in a population but he couldn’t say why
- it was these naturally occurring traits that were passed in, not the ones acquired in life

Question 4

What are the three reasons for why Darwin’s ideas were rejected initially ?

Answer 4

Religious beliefs as it challenged the widely accepted Christian belief of creation
No knowledge of genetics meant he couldn’t explain variation and inheritance
Lack of evidence

Question 5

What three later discoveries led to Darwin’s theory being accepted ?

Answer 5

Discovery of genetics which later explains inheritance
Fossils provided evidence of evolution
Observing bacterial resistance to antibiotics
These provided strong evidence to support natural selection