Charles_Darwin_and_the_theory_of_Evolution

Charles Darwin and the theory of Evolution CHARLES DARWIN AND THE THEORY OF EVOLUTION It is commonly thought today that the theory of evolution originated from Darwin in the nineteenth century. However, the idea that species mutate over time has been around for a long time in one form or another. Therefore, by Darwin's time the idea that species change from one type into another was by no means new, but was rejected by most because the proponents of evolution could not come up with a satisfactory mechanism that would explain this change. The most influential evolutionary theories prior to Darwin were those of Lamarck and Geoffroy St. Hilaire, developed between 1794 and 1830. Lamarck suggested that species evolve through the use or disuse of particular organs. In the classic example a giraffe that stretches its neck slightly to reach higher leaves will gain in neck length, and this small gain would be passed on to its offspring. Geoffroy, on the other hand suggested that the change was discontinuous, large in magnitude, and occurred at the production of offspring. However, these theories of evolution were based on a priori explanations that offered no demonstrated mechanism. Darwin's theory of evolution differs in that it is based on three darwin, selection, evolution, natural, darwin's, theory, species, time, origin, one, sexual, book, struggle, later, ideas, however, because, therefore, published, man, been, voyage, scientific, rather, population, malthus, first, existence, books, work, suggested, new, means, life, journal, idea, change, animals, about, years, thought, science, principle, out, offspring, notebook, just, important, england