Evolution Flashcards
What does the theory of evolution state?
Simple organisms gradually evolved into more complex ones.
What does Darwin’s theory suggest?
How species of living things have changed over geological time.
What are the key points of evolution by natural selection?
Individuals in a species show a wide range of variation.
This variation is because of differences in their genes.
Individuals with characteristics most suited to the environment are more likely to survive and reproduce.
The genes that allow these individuals to be successful are passed to their offspring.
Why was Darwin’s theory rejected?
Darwin’s theory conflicted with religious views that God had made all the animals and plants on Earth.
Darwin did not have enough evidence at the time to convince many scientists.
It was 50 years after Darwin’s theory was published that the way that inheritance and variation worked was discovered.
The genes that allow these individuals to be successful are passed to their offspring.
Which two ideas did Lamarck’s theory involve?
A characteristic that is used more and more by an organism becomes bigger and stronger, and one that is not used eventually disappears.
Any feature of an organism that is improved through use is passed to its offspring.
