Biological science 9/13/12

A Comparison of Charles Darwins Notions in Chapters Ten and Twelve of on the Origin of Species with Modern Understanding By reviewing On the Origin of Species by Natural Selection one can see that Charles Darwins theory of natural selection makes him the formalizer of the theory of evolution. Chapters 10 and 12 focus on geological succession and geographical distribution. In these chapters he is mainly elaborating on the process of natural selection and its agent, the environment. Darwins concepts hold true with the exception of a few ideas resulting from the influence of his contemporaries and some false principles. Geological succession is a means of accounting for succession from fossils to living forms. It supports Natural selection by showing that ancestors are influenced and adapt to their environment through their future generations very slowly, one after another, both on the land and in the waters. (Darwin, 1856) This leads to variability and eventually, new species. He rightly believed life forms share a common ancestor and today, we have more substantial evidence. An example is the presence of vestigial structures like the hind limb remnant in rubber boas (Freeman & Herron, 2007). Charles Darwin also understood that natural selection favors traits that are beneficial to survival in the environment. However, he believed that evolution create increasingly complex forms which is not always the case (Darwin 1856). Trilobites, which he briefly mentions, were arthropods more complex than modern arthropods but the former appear earlier first in the fossil record ( veritas-ucsb.org).

Charles Darwin specifically mentioned the extinction of trilobites (Darwin, 1856). He goes into detail about extinction, its inevitability and how it is a result of unfavorable conditions. This was made possible by the earlier work of Georges Cuvier, who confirmed the phenomenon (Freeman & Herron, 2007). Parent generations that survive give rise to more competitive offspring. This is in accordance with the Law of succession. One species evolves from another, older generation and hints to extinction may be found in the adaptations of descendants. An example is the pygmy armadillo and the glyptodont fossil (Freeman & Herron, 2007). He was not certain of what could cause the extinction of species whose conditions seemed very favorable but we know now that reproductive fitness is a critical factor for evolution across any species. So, preference of certain traits in sexual partners in heterosexual mammals may lead to evolution. Charles Darwin was extraordinary in his ability to introduce or clarify concepts that are fundamental to our studies today. For instance he made attempts to prove comparative anatomys support for descent with modification because it is in accordance with his theory of natural selection. Developmental homology does in fact show similarities between young vertebrate embryos (Freeman & Herron, 2007). With access to genetic and molecular information of any kind and more absolute dating methods, Charles Darwin may have put our understanding of life centuries ahead. -A.B.C.