Unit 1: Evolution - Natural Selection Flashcards
When did Darwin return to England?
In 1936
What did Darwin do when he returned to England
Wrote papers describing his collections & observations
What did Darwin bring back?
Brought back thousands of specimens and fossils
What came out in 1844?
A draft of his theory of species formation
What was Darwin concerned about?
The impact of his ideas in a religious culture
What did Darwin instruct his wife to do?
Instructed his wife to publish this essay upon his death
What was Darwin reluctant to do?
To publish but didn’t want ideas to die with him
What happened in 1858?
Darwin received a letter that changed everything.
Who was the letter from?
Alfred Russel Wallace, a young naturalist working in the East Indies
What had Alfred Russel Wallace done?
Had written a short paper with a new idea.
What had he asked Darwin?
To evaluate his ideas and pass it along for publication.
What happened on November 24, 1859?
Darwin published “On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection”
What was Darwin’s first idea?
Variation exists in natural populations
What was Darwin’s second idea?
Many more offspring are born each season than can possibly survive to maturity
What was Darwin’s third idea?
As a result, there is a struggle for existence - competition
What was Darwin’s fourth idea?
Characteristics that are beneficial in the struggle
for existence will tend to become more common in the population, changing the average characteristics of the population - adaptations
What was Darwin’s fifth idea?
Over long periods of time, and given a steady input of new variation into a population, these processes lead to the emergence of new species
What was Darwin’s first observation (Darwin’s Theory of Evolution by Natural Selection)?
Individuals within a species vary in many ways
What was Darwin’s second observation (Darwin’s Theory of Evolution by Natural Selection)?
Some variability can be inherited
What was Darwin’s third observation (Darwin’s Theory of Evolution by Natural Selection)?
Each generation produces way more offspring than can survive and passes on variations
What was Darwin’s fourth observation (Darwin’s Theory of Evolution by Natural Selection)?
Populations tend to remain stable in size
What was Darwin’s first inference (Darwin’s Theory of Evolution by Natural Selection)?
Members of the same species compete with each other for survival
What was Darwin’s second inference (Darwin’s Theory of Evolution by Natural Selection)?
Individuals with more favourable variation are more likely to survive. SURVIVAL IS NOT RANDOM