Charles Darwin used different kinds of evidence to back up his theory of natural selection. Here are the key points he made:
Fossil Record: Darwin looked at fossils and found that they showed how certain animals changed over a long period. For example, ancient whale fossils show how whales slowly changed from creatures that lived on land.
Geographical Distribution: He noticed that animals around the world are spread out in interesting ways. On isolated islands like the Galápagos, the animals were similar to those on the mainland but also different. This suggested they adapted to their unique environments.
Homology: Darwin pointed out that many different species have similar body parts. For example, the arm of a human and the fins of a whale have similar bone structures, even though they serve different purposes. This suggests they might share a common ancestor.
Artificial Selection: Darwin talked about how humans breed animals and plants intentionally to get certain traits. This showed that just like people can choose which traits to keep, nature has a way of favoring useful traits in the wild.
Statistical Data: He recorded information about how different types of animals survive. Darwin emphasized that small changes that can be passed down from one generation to the next can add up over time, leading to big changes in a group of living things.
These points helped Darwin explain how natural selection works in the world.
Charles Darwin used different kinds of evidence to back up his theory of natural selection. Here are the key points he made:
Fossil Record: Darwin looked at fossils and found that they showed how certain animals changed over a long period. For example, ancient whale fossils show how whales slowly changed from creatures that lived on land.
Geographical Distribution: He noticed that animals around the world are spread out in interesting ways. On isolated islands like the Galápagos, the animals were similar to those on the mainland but also different. This suggested they adapted to their unique environments.
Homology: Darwin pointed out that many different species have similar body parts. For example, the arm of a human and the fins of a whale have similar bone structures, even though they serve different purposes. This suggests they might share a common ancestor.
Artificial Selection: Darwin talked about how humans breed animals and plants intentionally to get certain traits. This showed that just like people can choose which traits to keep, nature has a way of favoring useful traits in the wild.
Statistical Data: He recorded information about how different types of animals survive. Darwin emphasized that small changes that can be passed down from one generation to the next can add up over time, leading to big changes in a group of living things.
These points helped Darwin explain how natural selection works in the world.