DARWIN VS LAMARCK
Evolution is a process of change, modern theories of evolution state that all living organisms share a common origin. It is the slow process that changes animals and plants with modification. Small modifications occur at the genetic level in DNA with each generation. These genetic changes can alter the characteristics of the population and as new species appear. The aim of this seminar is to inform the audience on the various theories of evolution such as Darwin and Lamarck and how their evidence is supported or disregarded.
Naturalist Charles Robert Darwin was born in Shrewsbury 1809, Darwin embarked on a five year survey voyage around the world on the HMS beagle. His studies of specimens around the globe led him to formulate …show more content…
Darwin was influenced by observations made during the voyage as naturalist on the survey ship Beagle. Whilst studying wildlife on the Galapagos Island, Darwin noticed that the Galapagos finches showed a lot of differences in the way they look for example, the beak and the shape and size from island to island. He assumed that these differences made the finches better adapted to take advantage of the food in their particular environment. In certain areas of the environment some finches had thin, sharp beaks which showed that their main food source was insects and grubs and in other areas finches had large claws and sharper beaks and their diet consisted of buds, fruit and nuts. The finch population had somehow developed beaks which were suitable for that particular area of environment. Darwin then concluded that in each area on or more individual finch happened to obtain random mutations, which was suitable for the food source in that area. These birds then has an advantage over their fellow finches, allowing them to grow and reproduce more successfully. These characteristics were then passed down to their offspring and had then were gradually over time spread throughout the finches’ …show more content…
He alleged that life started out simple and became more complex, Lamarck had a two part mechanism by which change was gradually introduced into the species and passed down through generations. This theory is referred to as the transformation or simply Lamarckism.
A classic example used to explain the concept of use and disuse throughout his theories is the extended neck of the giraffe which could over a lifetime of straining its neck to reach high branches develop an extended neck. He extended the definition of the change over time, saying that life started out simple and became more complex.
Darwin and Lamarck had similar mechanisms for their theories of evolution, they both agreed that animals evolved over time. They achieved these theories in different ways, Lamarck argued that the environmental pressures placed on animals changed their genetic material, for example the giraffe stretching its neck. The stretching then caused a change in their genetic material, which was inherited. While Darwin argued that the genetic material was fixed for individuals that needed it. They both agreed on the conception of species, that the population of individuals with the same or similar characteristics as another would be capable of