60 likes | 74 Views
Isn’t evolution just a theory?. Yes—It is like gravity. You see the effect, but you don’t immediately see the evidence or cause. There is a lot of evidence but there are still arguments made by scientists left to be resolved. Who was Charles Darwin?. Charles Darwin was an English naturalist
E N D
Isn’t evolution just a theory? Yes—It is like gravity. You see the effect, but you don’t immediately see the evidence or cause. There is a lot of evidence but there are still arguments made by scientists left to be resolved.
Who was Charles Darwin? • Charles Darwin was an English naturalist • the founder of the Theory of Evolution by Natural Selection—he studied the rise of new species • Published author of The Origin of the Species • Med student prior to his voyage on the Beagle • First to theorize that we all evolved from a common ancestor—The Branching Tree.
How do we know evolution happens? • The fossil record • Can connect organisms living today to a common ancestor • Fossils are compared to similar looking organisms that are alive today and are studied to discover how they relate to each other
How does evolution really work? • Natural selection • Genetic variations • Struggles for existence (competition) • Reproduction --overproduction • Characteristics or traits that help an organism survive are passed down over millions of years • Adaptations—Ex-hummingbirds’ beaks
Did humans evolve? • Yes—all organisms share a common ancestor. We share common characteristics and similar DNA to other organisms • Over time, variations and mutations in DNA cause the rise of new species.
Why does evolution matter now? • Variations can be helpful to protect you against certain microbial dangers • Variations can also be harmful in leaving you vulnerable to certain microbial dangers • Evolution is key to understanding diseases—we can project ideas gained from the study of evolution to help guide our future studies.