Among the main Charles Darwin's contributions , Highlights the evolution of living beings from their approach to evolutionary theory grounded in natural selection.
In this way, Darwin argued that all species come from the same common ancestor, with which they still share certain characteristics.
Charles Darwin is known as the father of evolution thanks to his contributions to establish a single logical theory of evolution.
His theory helped to remove the old conventions and beliefs which indicated that the formation of several species was the product of a supernatural phenomenon caused by a higher being (Wood, 2005).
Darwin's evolutionary theory served science to give a more rational explanation of the formation and existence of new species. This was explained by the concept of natural selection, where several species with a common ancestor can only survive when they adapt to the medium, even when the conditions of the medium change.
Natural selection was explained by Darwin as the ability of organisms to change over time to adapt to the environment.
Those whose variations are insignificant will be less likely to adapt, while organisms whose variations give them a reproductive advantage will be the survivors.
Darwin did not invent any theory, he simply discovered multiple phenomena as scientific and naturalistic. As author, it had a significant impact on science and the way it is understood biology and the world. He developed and proposed an evolutionary theory that greatly affected the way life is understood by science (Byjus, 2015).
10 Darwin's Fundamental Contributions to Science
1- Your trips on the Beagle to investigate species
Charles Darwin was born in Shrewsbury, England in 1809. When he was 16 years old he studied medicine at the University of Edinburgh for two years, until he realized that this was not his vocation. This was how he turned to theological education and graduated in 1831 as a theologian.
HMS Beagle
From August 1831 to 1836 Darwin participated as a naturalist on a scientific voyage aboard the HMS Beagle, in which he traveled the world in an attempt to study various aspects of science and the natural world.
Darwin contributed in numerous studies during his stay in the ship, focusing mainly on plants, animals and the natural aspects of the earth.
A few years after starting the trip, he published his first major work on his findings, called Beagle Travel Zoology (Your Dictionary, 2017).
2- The origin of species
In his first work, Darwin was already roughly implying some of his later contributions to science.
However, his theories and discoveries would not come to the public until 1859. Until now, Darwin had developed what would later be known as"Theory of Darwinian evolution."
In 1859, Darwin's most famous work (The Origin of Species through Natural Selection) was published. In this book he illustrated the theory by which he would finally be recognized.
His argument was in essence that all species of living beings, including humans, develop and adapt over time, being modified to adapt to new lifestyles and environments.
He no longer considered life as part of different ancestral lines, but as part of a single biological tree that branches out again and again.
In this way, it can be explained why all living beings share similar characteristics originating from the same ancestor. Darwin knew that if the reproduction of species occurred without supervision, and grew geometrically, the world would be overpopulated in future generations.
Darwin thought that if the world was not overpopulated it was because some species disappeared and others prevailed in time.
This theory was given the name of natural selection, indicating that the stronger species are more likely to survive, while the weaker species and less likely to adapt tend to disappear (Darwin, 1998).
3 - Theory of evolution
To begin with, there is an important difference between evolution and the proposed theories to explain the causes and mechanisms of it.
Evolution is defined as the genealogical connection existing between all living organisms, based on their descent from a common ancestor. This statement is based on the evidence.
First, there is the direct evidence of human observation and manipulation of species of domestic animals and plants for hundreds of years, with the aim of domesticating certain wild species and developing better crops, showing the existence of small gradual changes over time .
This can be seen clearly in the birds studied by Darwin in the Galapagos Islands, which had changes in the form of the peak due to general conditions of the environment, the availability of food and the presence of other animal species and of bacteria in the environment .
Biological changes occurring in species can be recorded and tracked in fossil findings. In this way, paleontologists have found multiple evidences and examples of sequential changes in the form of our ancestors in vast lines of time (Stark Effects, 2017).
Finally, the theory of evolution can be evidenced when common characteristics are found between different species, all coming from a common ancestor.
On some occasions, these similarities can only be explained as lags or vestiges that remained in the species. In this way, Darwin believed that humans have a number of physical characteristics that are only possible because they come from a common ancestor: fish.
Since Darwin's time, multiple mechanisms involved within the evolutionary process have been studied. In this way, you can see how they have had several mutations that have contributed to the process of natural selection taking place.
4- Natural Selection
Natural selection is the name given to the obvious process that indicates that some organisms are more likely to survive than others. This is due to a reproductive advantage that ensures the permanence of the species in future generations.
However, these advantages generally take place spontaneously and not by choice of organisms.
Darwin's research on natural selection during his voyage allowed him to approach his theory of evolution.
He examined all areas he visited, including South America, the Galapagos Islands, Africa, and the islands of the Pacific Ocean, always keeping a record of his observations (Browne, 1996).
Darwin was able to observe many natural phenomena such as earthquakes, erosions, volcanic eruptions, among others. In this way, he could propose the following ideas about the theory of natural selection:
Adaptation of species
All species are in a constant process of evolution over time. As the environment changes, the needs of organisms also change and they adjust to their new environments in order to survive.
This phenomenon of changes within a certain margin of time with the aim of surviving is known as adaptation.
According to Darwin's theory, only species with superior changes could survive, while the others were doomed to disappear. These changes do not necessarily imply an improvement of the species, they simply give them an advantage in order to survive in a given environment.
Common Ancestor
Almost all organisms share a common ancestor. According to Darwin, all organisms shared a single common ancestor that over time evolved in different ways, branching out the species.
In this way, Darwin's theory of evolution supports the divergent and convergent theories of evolution.
Evolution Process
Darwin believed that evolution is a slow and gradual process that takes place over a long period of time (billions of years).
Biological change from one generation to another within the same species can take millions of years, as it is a slow process of adaptation and stabilization.
Types of natural selection
Natural selection according to Darwin takes place in four different ways, as follows:
Variation
The changes accumulated over a period of time in an organism, usually giving way to the birth of a new species.
Heritage
Variations or changes are passed over generations, leading to the specific development of species.
High population growth margin
This allows the existence of a greater number of organisms with reproductive possibilities within an environment that allows it. When a species can not reproduce within a given environment, it is doomed to extinction .
Survival and differential reproduction
The higher variations or changes lead to the survival of a particular organism and the lower variations lead to extinction. The higher variations are those that are inherited during reproduction.
6- Other contributions of Charles Darwin to science
Darwin's studies of nature and the physical process of evolution of organisms explain the diversity that can be seen in all existing forms of life. These studies have given science the basis and tools to delve deeper into the issue of species evolution.
During the time of Darwin, the idea of variations of the species was not known. Since then, different scientists have discovered the molecular basis for the transmission of genetic characteristics and variations.
In this way, it can be said that Darwin is the father of modern biology, having implemented a single logical theory that could explain the existence of different living organisms.
On the other hand, Darwin laid the groundwork for explaining the existence of the world as we know it today, when speaking of a natural physical process in which the members of a given population can vary their characteristics over time.
This has allowed the study of diseases and migratory phenomena of species (College Term Papers, 1969).
References
- Browne, J. (1996). Biology Reference . Obtained from Darwin, Charles: biologyreference.com.
- (December 11, 2015). By Ju's . Obtained from Darwin's Contribution: The Theory of Evolution: byjus.com.
- College Term Papers . (December 31, 1969). Retrieved from"Charles Darwin and his Contribution to Biology: collegetermpapers.com".
- Darwin, C. (1998). The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals. New York: Oxford University Press.
- Stark Effects . (April 27, 2017). Obtained from Charles Darwin and the Theory of Evolution: starkeffects.com.
- Wood, B. (2005). Human Evolution: A Very Short Introduction. New York: Oxford University Press.
- Your Dictionary . (April 27, 2017). Retrieved from"What Did Charles Darwin Discover?: biography.yourdictionary.com".