Darwins+Theories-Natural+Selection

While Darwin's Theory of Evolution is a relatively young archetype, the evolutionary worldview itself is as old as antiquity. Ancient Greek philosophers such as Anaximander postulated the development of life from non-life and the evolutionary descent of man from animal. Charles Darwin simply brought something new to the old philosophy -- a plausible mechanism called "natural selection." Natural selection acts to preserve and accumulate minor advantageous genetic mutations. Suppose a member of a species developed a functional advantage (it grew wings and learned to fly). Its offspring would inherit that advantage and pass it on to their offspring. The inferior (disadvantaged) members of the same species would gradually die out, leaving only the superior (advantaged) members of the species. Natural selection is the preservation of a functional advantage that enables a species to compete better in the wild. Natural selection is the naturalistic equivalent to domestic breeding. Over the centuries, human breeders have produced dramatic changes in domestic animal populations by selecting individuals to breed. Breeders eliminate undesirable traits gradually over time. Similarly, natural selection eliminates inferior species gradually over time. From-http://www.darwins-theory-of-evolution.com/ **If evolution was a car, the theory of natural selection would be the engine. The basic ideas of evolution were discussed long before there was any scientific research done to support them. The evolutionary concept was never able to gain any real steam because it lacked a mechanism. That is, scientists wanted to believe that species evolved from one form to another, but had no plausible process to make it happen. The theory of natural selection provides that reasonable method of evolution.** From-http://www.allaboutscience.org/theory-of-natural-selection-faq.htm

Natural selection essentially states that "the strong survive." The basic idea is that when change occurs, those organisms best suited to the new circumstances will thrive. Those who are not ideally suited will not be able to compete. Charles Darwin proposed this principle after observing some population variations in birds. He noticed that animals within a species often had slightly varied traits, and that those traits made some more suited to certain conditions. Darwin's theory was that, over time, the better suited animals would thrive and the others would die out completely. The resulting population would be entirely made up of those animals with the "better" trait. Over time, he reasoned, this could result in a species changing enough traits to eventually become a totally different creature, like a fish becoming a frog. From- []