Evolution And Charles Darwin's Theory Of Natural Selection

Introduction The process that different organisms use to develop and diversify from their ancestors is known as evolution, and Charles Darwin theorized that evolution is the result of natural selection. Natural selection is a theory that is focused around five main ideas. It begins with the idea of the variation that exists in a natural species. Variation can come from mutations in a species as well as from the crossing over between homologous chromosomes that occurs in sexual reproduction, specifically meiosis. Both of these factors are important in causing different organisms to develop independently and produce unique offspring. The second idea of natural selection is that more offspring are produced than those able to live to adulthood, meaning there is a struggle for existence as the organisms in a population compete for limited resources. Only those best fit to survive in the environment will live, while the others will die. The struggle for existence is Darwin’s third idea of natural selection. Struggle for existence means that the animals will be competing with each other, fighting to be the one to survive. This concept can be seen in how animals will fight over prey, because there is not enough to go around, and so they must battle to decide who will win the food. The fourth idea for natural selection is having beneficial …show more content…
This is natural selection; survival of the fittest. The word “fittest’ refers to both those best fit to survive in their environment, which an animal that cannot compete for resources is not, as well as those best fit to produce healthy offspring. If an organism is not able to survive by competing for resources, then it is not able to survive to reproduce. Because of this, animals that cannot compete as well as other animals in the wild are going to die off and their traits will become less and less