- Who primarily proposed the theory of evolution by natural selection?
Introduction
Biological evolution is change in species over time. The idea of evolution was proposed by
many people before Charles Darwin (Figure 7.1) began collecting evidence for the idea.
Scientists for hundreds of years had hypothesized that species change over time. But it
was not until Darwin published his research and detailed analysis that the idea of evolution
started to gain widespread acceptance. Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection
brings all fields of biology together and illuminates nearly every aspect of biology. As one
famous biologist said, ”Nothing in biology makes sense except in the light of evolution.”
Figure 7.1: Charles Darwin was one of the most influential scientists who has ever lived.
Darwin introduced the world to the theory of evolution by natural selection, which laid the
foundation for how we understand the living world today. ( 18 )
Evolution by natural selection explains:
- The tremendous variety of organisms on Earth.
- Why some organisms that resemble each other are distantly related.
- Why some organisms that do not resemble each other are closely related.
There are three parts to Darwin’s Theory of Evolution by Natural Selection.