Darwin's Theory of Natural Selection
Use an in-chapter reading to briefly introduce Darwin's theory of natural selection to the students. Explain Mendel's work about inheritance of favored characteristics.
Charles Darwin was a British naturalist who proposed the theory of biological evolution by 'natural selection'. Natural selection is the differential survival and reproduction of individuals due to differences in phenotype. It is a key mechanism of evolution, the change in the heritable traits characteristic of a population over generations. The concept of natural selection was published by Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace in a joint presentation of papers in 1858. It was elaborated in Darwin's book 'On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life' in 1859.
Charles Darwin
- Use the in-chapter reading, 'Major Themes in Evolution', from the National Academies Press (Chapter 3, pgs 11-16) to get introduction of the topic of natural selection.
- Explore how Darwin and Wallace proposed the theory of natural selection on variants within a species that explained the process of evolution.
- Also explore how Mendel's work explained how favored characteristics are inherited and eventually lead to speciation.
Gregor Mendel