Question

State the main features of Darwin’s Theory of Natural Selection.

Answer 1

1. Enormous fertility: All living organisms have the potential to produce more offspring than can survive.
2. Struggle for existence: Since resources are limited, individuals compete for survival, leading to a continuous struggle.
3. Variations under nature: Individuals within a species show variations; only those variations that can be inherited affect evolution.
4. Natural selection (survival of the fittest): Individuals with favorable variations are more likely to survive and reproduce, while less suited forms are gradually eliminated.
5. Origin of species: Over time, accumulation of favorable variations leads to new adaptations and the formation of new species.