Evolution...
Felix Qui Potuit Rerum Cognoscere Causas"Happy is He Who Has Been Able to Learn the Causes of Things" -Virgil Charles Darwin, with the publication of The Origin of Species, is recognized as the father of modern evolutionary theory. His revolutionary beliefs and ideas were direct results of contributions to evolutionary thought spanning from ancient Greece to the nineteenth century. These influences included great minds such as Carolus Linnaeus, Erasmus Darwin, Jean Baptiste Lamarck, and Sir Charles Lyell. As time progressed, these thinkers and a wide range of others contributed a growing body of knowledge supporting evolution, and creating a foundation on which Darwin would base his theory of evolution by natural selection. Evolution is defined as the continuous genetic adaptation of organisms or species to the environment by the integrating agencies of selection, and is a combination of science and philosophy explaining how all species originated. Darwin's theory of evolution suggests that organisms adapt and respond to their environments, thereby evolving to become better suited to their respective environments. This theory is known as the survival of the fittest, where the most adapted organisms survive and flouri
Geology is a branch of science that is vital to validate evolution. Erasmus Darwin, Charles Darwin's illustrious grandfather, was also a notable evolutionist. But Darwin took Lamarck's theory a step further by stating that the overall results of the processes of acquired characteristics would gradually advance species to higher levels of organization. Although the elder Darwin seemed to be at least somewhat knowledgeable of natural selection, he took faith in Lamarck's theory of inheritance of acquired characteristics. This gift of time to Darwin was very important, because the evolution that Darwin describes in The Origin of Species would not be possible in only a seven thousand year time span. Lyell, a geologist, proved in the year 1830 that the earth was not approximately seven thousand years old, but over four billion years of age. He did do extensive research to prove his theory of evolution, such as his project in which he studied several generations of peppered moths in Britain. sh, and the less suited creatures eventually become easier prey and die off. Vesalius broke with the tradition of scholasticism and insisted on direct observations for experimentation. He wrote an essay, entitled An Essay on the Principles of Population, which basically stated that human populations grow geometrically, while their food supply only grows arithmetically. The sciences, especially geology and biology, obviously play a very large role in evolutionary philosophy. Thomas Robert Malthus also contributed an important theory that helped to support Darwin's theory of natural selection. His theory was based on acquired characteristics of organisms; it basically stated that if an organism used a particular part of its body very often, this body part would get stronger and grow in size from generation to generation. Enlightenment thinkers provided a solid foundation on which Darwin could gather information, much of which was newfound information necessary in proving his theory of evolution. Philosophy also contributes heavily to the more creative, innovative, and influential components of evolution.
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