Topic Summaries

Theory of evolution by natural selection

GCSE > Biology > CCEA > GCSE Biology Topic Summaries > Evolution and natural selection > Theory of evolution by natural selection
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  • Charles Darwin proposed his theory of evolution by natural selection based on observations he made on a round-the-world expedition, and developing knowledge of geology and fossils.
  • Darwin published his theory in On the Origin of Species (1859). This was controversial at the time for challenging the idea that God made all animals and plants that live on Earth. There was insufficient evidence at the time the theory was published as the mechanisms of inheritance and variation were not known until 50 years after the theory was published.
  • Jean-Baptiste Lamarck proposed an earlier theory of evolution that changes that occur in an organism during its lifetime can be inherited. We now know that in the vast majority of cases this type of inheritance cannot occur.
  • The theory of evolution by natural selection states that individuals with characteristics most suited to their environment are more likely to survive long enough to breed successfully. The characteristics that have enabled these individuals to survive are passed onto their offspring, and the cycle continues from one generation to the next.

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