An Exploration of Different Theories of Evolution Essay

An Exploration of Different Theories of Evolution Where did we come from? It is a question that has haunted the entire history of humanity. Thousands of years ago, our ancestors sought to answer the question with myths. Today, we are still struggling with the same question—only today we seek to answer this mystery with science. Given various observations, it seems plausible that all life arose from a few very simple organisms millions of years ago. Observations of life will raise two important (though almost paradoxical) questions: Why are there so many different kinds of life? And why do there appear to be some over-riding similarities among organisms? The diversity of life is apparent in the vast number of different†¦show more content†¦If all life on earth arose from one common ancestor it makes sense that they should have common characteristics. Once the theory of evolution is accepted, there is still disagreement as the how evolution occurred. This will be the focus of my paper. Until quite recently, neo-Darwinism - as defined as the combination of Darwins theory of evolution of the species through gradual change guided by natural selection coupled with modern genetics - was accepted as THE theory of evolution. However, lately neo-Darwinism has fallen out of favor. Since neo-Darwinism has always been the most widely Observations in nature would appear to support the claims of Neo-Darwinism. Just as Darwin hypothesized, organisms in nature do produce more offspring than can survive and reproduce given the constraints of the environment. (12) Richard Milton argues, however, that evolution does not arise from survival of the fittest , but rather survival of the most prolific . (13) This argument is valid to a point. However, if an organism has a characteristic that enables it to survive longer than its peers that organism will have time to breed more times and therefore have more offspring. Neo-Darwinism rests on the theory that random genetic mutations over thousands of generations resulted in evolution. And there have been studies proving that genetic mutations could serve as the mechanism by which evolution occurs. A group of scientists in London discovered a way in whichShow MoreRelatedNatural Selection And The Theory Of Evolution1536 Words   |  7 PagesNatural selection and The Theory of Evolution were just two of the things that Charles Darwin conquered through the exploration of The Galapagos Island. Darwin was born on February 12, 1809, in Shrewsbury, England. While Darwin was still in high school, his main interest was nature, he was especially interested in beetles. Darwin’s father, Robert Darwin, who was best known as the father of the naturalist Charles Darwin, wanted Charles to become a doctor. Due to lack on interest in the medicine fieldRead MoreCharles Darwins Life and Accomplishments784 Words   |  4 Pagesa little kid he struggled a lot in school. 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