Question

What are the two major contributions of Charles Darwin regarding evolution? Describe briefly.

Answer 1

1. Shared ancestry: Darwin proposed that living organisms have descended, with modifications, from common ancestors. Similarities among organisms, including forms that lived in the distant past, support this idea.
2. Natural selection: Darwin explained natural selection as a mechanism of evolution. Individuals in a population vary, and those with favourable variations are more likely to survive and reproduce. They pass these traits to their offspring; over many generations, favourable variations may accumulate and lead to the formation of new species.