Questioning Natural Selection as the Mechanism To summarize Charles Darwin’s theory of Evolution:ġ) Random genetic mutations in the herd provide variation.Ģ) The genetic variants most adapted for survival will survive, while less adapted will not. Left Image Darwin Gets a Haircut Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons. He proposed Natural Selection as the mechanism for evolution. In 1859, Charles Darwin then took the next step. Animals with better survival advantages would win the battle for reproduction. Nature would select traits which provided survival advantage, and reject traits that impaired survival.
This idea seemed plausible to professional animal breeders with extensive experience “breeding-in” desirable traits in their dogs, horses or livestock.ĭarwin’s idea was that “Mother Nature” would act in place of the professional animal breeder. Darwin’s theory of evolution is the idea that over many generations, small incremental changes lead to emergence of entirely new species. Darwin’s theory started with this concept and sought to explain the mechanism. The idea of evolution of life from the simple to more complex is an old idea and can be found in ancient writings. Left Image: Charles Darwin 1880 Courtesy wikimedia commons, The Evolution From Simple to More Complex Darwin’s simple 19th century Theory of Evolution required drastic revision in order to incorporate all this new knowledge. These advances provoked a paradigm shift in thinking about evolution. In 2003, the genetic code for the entire human genome was sequenced. In 1953, the double helix structure of DNA was elucidated by Watson and Crick, along with its genetic code. Since 1859 when Darwin wrote his theory evolution, there has been considerable progress in molecular biology. This isn’t the only flaw in Darwin’s theory. Left Image: This “Tree of Life” sketch is seen in Darwin’s notebook (Image: courtesy of Mario Tama / Getty).ĭarwin Wrote His Theory of Evolution in 1859
Instead of a Tree, we have a new model represented by a network of inter-related life forms. Left magazine cover courtesy of New Scientist.Īccording to Graham Lawton in a 2009 article in New Scientist, Why Darwin was wrong about the tree of life, this “ iconic concept of evolution, has turned out to be a figment of our imagination.” Darwin’s tree has been rendered obsolete by the discovery of Horizontal Gene Transfer.
Header Image courtesy of Pinterest Evolution
The more complex organisms such as fish, birds and land mammals are represented by smaller branches at the top of the tree. The massive tree trunk represents simpler life forms such as amoebas, protozoas, and one-celled organisms etc. What’s Wrong About Darwin’s Theory of Evolution ?Ĭentral to Darwin’s Theory is the “ Tree of Life”.
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