Charles Darwin & Evolutionary Theory Flashcards
What period was Charles Darwin born in?
Early 1800s (1809-1882 to be specific).
Name the three main ideas in Darwin’s theory of evolution.
There is a boundary between humans and animals.
Mechanical system for explaining origins of species (selection).
Central tenets of natural selection and sexual selection.
What was the Voyage of the Beagle?
Captain Fitzroy + Darwin went on a journey around the world for 5 years.
What were the two main theories of natural history before Darwin?
Catastrophism - Christian theory.
Uniformitarianism.
Why was the Galapagos’ ecology important to Darwin?
There was species diversity - turtles varied in neck length depending on their location.
Darwin believed this meant there was different pathways to evolution.
In Darwin’s Origin of Species (1859) what was Intelligent Design?
The theory that there is a prime person (God) that caused everything.
In Darwin’s Origin of Species (1859) what was Evolution by Inheritance of Acquired Characteristics?
Traits are passed on through inheritance. The more an organ is used, the better developed it becomes. As the environment changes, species respond accordingly.
In Darwin’s Origin of Species (1859) what was Natural Selection?
Survival of the fittest. Mutation occurs in ancestors and that variation of the species has a higher likelihood of surviving and therefore reproducing more. Only useful variations are transferred to the next generation.
What was Thomas Malthus’ take on evolution?
Wrote an Essay on the Principle of Population.
Believed populations grow faster than resources and therefore positive checks are needed (e.g. disease).
Who is Alfred Russell Wallace?
Wallace discovered evolutionary processes in his journeys to Malay Archipelago.
It is debated whether he did not get enough credit for his discovery and Darwin too much.
What did Darwin’s Descent of Man entail?
Darwin believed there was no difference in higher faculties between humans and animals.
Monogenism over polygenism (possible scientific racism).
Sexual selection: greater male capacity for reason, greater variability among men, complementary traits between men and women (controversial today?).
What did Darwin say about social emotions?
He believed blushing was the most human of all expressions.
Expression of emotion is adaptive.
Name some key figures in Social Darwinism.
Herbert Spencer. Francis Galton (Eugenics).
What two main philosophers does Darwin’s theory go against?
Locke + Leibnitz.
What is the main scientific problem with Darwinism?
The ‘just so’ story problem - if you were to go against his theory, it would be to go against nature which is just wrong.
This idea has been used to justify different issues (e.g. racism) in different times and places - justifying inequality by naturalising it.
