In your own words, provide the essential points of Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection (descent with modification).

Darwin’s Theory of Evolution Descent With Modification Fertility is so high that populations would increase exponentially if all offspring survived Most species have stable numbers Natural resources are finite / limited Therefore, there is a struggle for existence, and only a fraction of offspring survive.

Darwin’s Theory of Evolution by Natural Selection More offspring are produced than can be supported by the environment (struggle for existence) All individuals vary Some of the variation is inherited by the offspring (offspring resemble parents) In the struggle for existence, favored variants are more likely to survive & reproduce (survival of the fittest) Therefore, populations change over time as favored variants become are preserved and become more common (descent with modification)

Individuals in a population differ; no two are exactly alike Much of the variation is heritable Survival in the struggle for existence is not random, but tends toward those that have inherited favorable variations Therefore, the unequal ability of individuals to survive and reproduce leads to gradual change in a population, with favorable characteristics increasing in frequency Darwin’s Theory of Evolution Descent With Modification