THEORIES OF EVOLUTION

To describe the historical developments of theories of evolution and assess social and political influences on these developments.
Jeans Baptiste Lamarck
Date of theory: Early 1800s
Name of Theory: Jean-Baptiste Lamarck's Theory of Inheritance
Outline of the theory:
Population of individuals all of the same kind (identical characteristics in all members). Individuals capable of transformation.
What observations prompted this theory?
Lamarck based his theory on two observations:
Use and disuse - Individuals lose characteristics they do not require (or use) and develop characteristics that are useful.
Inheritance of acquired traits - Individuals inherit the traits of their ancestors.
Describe the evidence that supported this theory?
The giraffe's neck: At some point in the past, giraffes must have found themselves in an environment where they had difficulty reaching food
present on the tops of trees. In order to eat, they must have had to stretch their necks and in doing so physically elongated them some. This longer
neck was passed on to the offspring in the next generation, who in turn stretched their necks even further, thus resulting in the giraffe species
having very long necks."
What evidence went against this theory?
Lamarcks mechanism for evolution was by the inheritance of acquired characteristics based on use and disuse of body parts. His theory was
rejected on the grounds that acquired characteristics cannot be inherited.
Was the theory accepted at the time of its proposal?
Despite the eventual rejection of his theory, Lamarcks ideas challenged the religious and social order of the times and opened the way for new
ideas to be put forward

Charles Darwin
Date of theory: first formulated in Darwin's book "On the Origin of Species" in 1859
Name of Theory: The theory of Evolution by Natural Selection
Outline of the theory:
The basic idea behind the theory of evolution is that all the different species have evolved from simple life forms. These simple life forms first
developed more than 3 billion years ago
What observations prompted this theory?
The theory of evolution states that evolution happens by natural selection. The key points are that:
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
Describe the evidence that supported this theory?
Keen eyesight of the hawk: In a population of hawks, individual variation existed in the power of their vision, just as variation exists in the
color of their feathers. In their competition for food, the individuals with keener eyesight could more easily spot their prey (small voles and
mice) and thus were successful in securing food to eat. The hawks with poor eyesight had difficulty spotting prey and died for lack of food. The
hawks with the keen eyesight passed on this trait to their offspring. The hawks that died were not able to produce any offspring. Over a number
of generations, the population of hawks all came to possess extremely powerful vision."
What evidence went against this theory?
Henri Bergson tried to explain and demonstrate the fact that Darwinism offered no satisfactory explanation for the source of new genetic
information from which natural selection could select.
Was the theory accepted at the time of its proposal?
Darwin's ideas caused a lot of controversy, and this continues today, because they can be seen as conflicting with religious views about the
creation of the world and the creatures in it.
Were there any groups or individuals that influenced the way the idea were accepted e.g. Other scientist, religious groups, and
governments?
Charles Darwin and Alfred Wallace independently proposed a similar theory of evolution by natural selection that accounts for the changes seen in
organisms over time.

Alfred Russel Wallace

Date of theory: 1858
Name of Theory: The theory of evolution
Outline of the theory:
Charles Darwin and Alfred Wallace independently proposed a similar theory of evolution by natural selection that accounts for the changes seen in
organisms over time. This theory proposes that organisms that survive and reproduce have favourable variations or adaptations. These are passed
on to the next generation so that, over time, these characteristics become more common in the population.
What observations prompted this theory?
During his exploration on plants and animals of the Amazon, he distinguished that some animals had camouflage to help them hide from
predators, and some birds had specially shaped bills to let them crack open nuts and extract nectar from plants. Some plants had clever defenses to
help fight attacks by insects.
Describe the evidence that supported this theory?
His exploration on plants and animals of the Amazon, and other studies from his travels
What evidence went against this theory?
Henri Bergson tried to explain and demonstrate the fact that Darwinism offered no satisfactory explanation for the source of new genetic
information from which natural selection could select.
Was the theory accepted at the time of its proposal?
These ideas caused a lot of controversy, and this continues today, because they can be seen as conflicting with religious views about the creation of
the world and the creatures in it.
Were there any groups or individuals that influenced the way the idea were accepted e.g. Other scientist, religious groups, and
governments?
Charles Darwin and Alfred Wallace independently proposed a similar theory of evolution by natural selection that accounts for the changes seen in
organisms over time.