The Theory of Evolution
Evolution is a subject that I find highly enjoyable and interesting. The subject is very debatable however whether you’re an evolutionist or not it’s something that I think everyone should be open minded enough to hear about and understand the reasoning behind this fascinating theory.
Jean de Lamarck (1744-1829) was one of the first evolution theorists. He was actually a French biologist that evolved the theory of organic evolution. His research influenced many evolutionists, including Charles Darwin.
Darwinism is the theory of the evolution of species by natural selection advanced by Charles Darwin. Charles Darwin (1809-1882) was an English theorist. Darwin actually took many of his grandfather’s studies and took it upon himself to expand on them even farther. Darwin did a great deal of traveling. At the time traveling by sea was one’s only choice. Unfortunately, Darwin did not have a strong stomach for the sea and spent most of his time sick. When he had finally reached land he took up his time keeping detailed journals of notes, stories, and drawings of what he and his crew had seen and experienced. His most well-known voyage was the voyage of The Beagle. It took several years, most of it sea sick. They left from Plymouth, England traveled south around most of South America then west to Australia. Between South America and Australia were the Galapagos Islands. The Galapagos Islands are a huge archipelago. These islands were crucial in Darwin’s research. These islands were full of a wide variety of new and foreign animal species. This was particularly fascinating for Darwin because the animal and plant life there showed their individuality more clearly than anywhere else he had been due to their isolation. He finished his voyage around the bottom of Africa and finally back to England. In 1859 he published his theory of evolution called The Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection. At the time evolution was a far-fetched idea and most thought it to be outrageous. Many also disliked it because it went against their religion. Darwin also did a joint presentation with Alfred Russle Wallace to the Linnaean society of London in 1858. Before this was held most people believed Aristotle and the Bible’s book of Genesis which said that everything was created in their present form and were currently unchanging. Darwin certainly made his voice heard and changed the world of science forever.
Microevolution is small change in genes within a given species. This can be a change in resistance, size, or various other characteristics. Macroevolution on the other hand transcends boundaries of a single species. Natural selection is closely related to microevolution. Natural selection is each organism’s decision in a mate. In nearly all cases organisms will choose the best candidate possible in order to create the healthiest, strongest, most superior offspring possible. It is a survival of the fittest scenario. If an organism is created that is totally adapted to its surroundings and can navigate them as best possible they are most likely to grow up and create another generation even more apt to survive. One example of natural selection would be in butterflies. Butterflies with elaborate multi-colored wings in a mossy dark forest are far more likely to stand out, and thus suffer a most painful death compared to a butterfly with wings that camouflage with its surroundings. The butterflies that survive with their camouflage wings will go on to produce another generation that is even better with blending in with their surroundings creating more and more butterflies adapt at avoiding predators. This will go on and on, each generation being slightly different from the last and ever so slightly better.
Mutations in organisms can also occur. A mutation is a change in genetic makeup of an organism this may be large scale or small scale. There is no real way of determining if an organism will receive a mutant gene. It all depends on if one specific gene is passed down or is created improperly. Mutations usually occur in recessive genes.
The study of DNA, or Deoxyribonucleic Acid, is an extremely vast subject but DNA supplies the basic information for all life. Fossils are the remains of organisms or their imprints preserved in various ways in rocks. Naturalists around the world began finding fossils and bones of unknown animals in the late 1700’s. Some nutters even believed that “god” had intentionally planted these fossils there simply to make life more interesting. Various stories/tall tales began being told about the animals that these fossils came from. The fossil stories were blown way out of proportion. In this day and age they would be considered to have “gone viral.” The fossil record is the record of the history of plants and animals. What I think of when we talk of this is Jurassic Park when they recover DNA from an ancient mosquito embedded in Amber. No matter how unlikely, the concept is radical. The idea of “what if” is great.
Really you shouldn’t even get me started on this subject. The fossil record is fairly obvious, absolute physical evidence that can be studied by anyone and everyone on earth and clearly proves that evolution is quite nearly a fact, hence the term scientific theory. Simply tracing fossils and bones and diagrams of them will show a progression or change in the physical structure of plants and animals through history. Even throughout the last one hundred years we ought to be able to see that even in livestock breeding humans have used selective breeding to improve their stock. So, in my opinion everyone should be able to see that evolution is pretty obvious fact that is on-going. It’s something that everyone needs to accept be aware of and enjoy.
Bibliography
Camp, Pamela S., and Karen Arms. Exploring Biology. Philadelphia: Saunders College Pub., 1981. Print.
"Biochemistry in Evolution." DCS - Technology Courses for High School Students. Web. 18 May 2011.
AboutDarwin.com - Home Page. 14 Oct. 2010. Web. 18 May 2011.
"What Is Microevolution?" Understanding Evolution. Web. 18 May 2011.
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