DARWIN’S THEORY OF

EVOLUTION BY
NATURAL SELECTION
Darwin’s observations and deductions. The
development of the theory.
What is Evolution?
 Evolution is CHANGE OVER TIME.

 There are several theories for how evolution has

happened in living organisms during the lifetime of the
planet Earth.

 Darwin’s Theory of Natural Selection is one of those

theories – accepted now by scientists as the most
probable explanation for the mechanism of evolution.
Darwin’s
Observations

Charles Darwin travelled to many places. He was a

collector, an artist and an observer of nature. When he
returned to England with his collections and notes and
drawings, he spent several years studying his data, and
eventually making his proposals.
Darwin’s
Observation # 1
 ALL organisms are capable of producing more offspring
than can possibly survive

What did Darwin mean?

…. that bacteria, fungi, plants, animals, birds – indeed all
forms of life – could very quickly produce huge numbers of
offspring.
Darwin’s
Observation # 2

 The numbers of organisms in populations of different

species do not fluctuate much. There is population
stability.

What did Darwin mean?

….. that, despite the capacity for high rates of reproduction
(Observation # 1), the numbers of organisms in any
population do not actually change much.
Darwin’s
Observation # 3

 Their is great variation in the characteristics of the

organisms in a population of species.

What did Darwin mean?

….. that no two individuals of a one species are the same.
Darwin’s
Observation # 4

 Organisms inherit many of their characteristics and

variations from their parents.

What did Darwin mean?

….. that offspring inherit some of the characteristics of their
parents. A human mother or father with blue eyes may well
have children with blue eyes.
Darwin’s
Deductions

It is all very well making some nice observations! A good

scientist then starts to ask questions about the
observations and proposes answers. Charles Darwin was a
good scientist and made two important deductions from his
observations.
Darwin’s
Deduction # 1

 There must be a struggle for survival because not all the

offspring do survive. (Remember Observation # 1) Some
members of a population have characterisitcs which mean
they are better able to survive.

What did Darwin mean?

….. that offspring are competing for food and resources, are
trying not to be eaten by other species, are suffering from
diseases, and are competing with the other offspring. Some
survive the struggle; others do not.
Darwin’s
Deduction # 2
 The members of the population who survive are able to
reproduce and will therefore pass their beneficial
characteristics onto their offspring.

What did Darwin mean?

….. that because many characteristics are inherited,
survivors who have those characteristics will have offspring
who inherit those genes. The less favourable characteristics
and genes in a population will disappear.
Summing it all up

 A neat way to summarise Darwin’s Theory of Evolution by

Natural Selection is to use the phrase:
SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST

But wait!
This phrase was not used by Darwin. It is much more recent
and is often misinterpreted. It does NOT mean that the
biggest, fastest and strongest survive. It means that the genes
which determine the favourable characteristics become more
common in future generations of the species.
Correcting mistakes
and misconceptions
1. Darwin did NOT talk about individuals; he talked about
populations of species and how genes become more or
less common in a population. (A population is a group of
organisms of one species, living together in one place.)
2. Natural selection in no way suggests that adaptations can
develop and be inherited. No! What it does say is that
individuals with already favourable characteristics and
genes are likely to survive and pass on their genes.
3. “Survival of the Fittest” does NOT mean that the stronger
individuals survive. It means that genes which are best fit
for survival will be inherited by offspring.