Life on Earth

Chapter 16
Principles of Evolution
[logo]
At a Glance
TopNext
At a Glance
Hyperlinks
Self-Quiz
Spacer
Search Engines
Newsgroups
E-Mail
Spacer
User Guide
Feedback
The History of Evolutionary Thought
  • What is a species?
  • The philosophies of Plato and Aristotle influenced early Christian beliefs.
  • Evidence supporting evolution was discovered even before Darwin's time.
  • Charles Darwin's voyage on the beagle sowed the seeds for his theory of evolution.
  • Darwin and Wallace both proposed that evolution occurs by natural selection.
  • Evolutionary theory arises from scientific observations and conclusions based on them.

    The Evidence for Evolution
  • The fossil record provides evidence of evolutionary change over time.
  • Comparative anatomy provides structural evidence for evolution.
  • Embryological stages of animals can provide evidence for common ancestry.
  • Modern biochemical and genetic analyses reveal relatedness among diverse organisms.
  • Artificial selection demonstrates that organisms may be modified by controlled breeding.
  • Evolution by natural selection occurs today.

    A Postscript by Charles Darwin



  • PH Sower © 1997 by Prentice-Hall, Inc.
    Simon & Schuster/A Viacom Company
    Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458

    Legal Statement