Week 6 Reflection

This week in science we learned about Charles Darwin and his theory of evolution.  Charles Darwin was an English scientist who studied the natural world on the HMS Beagle. His 5 year voyage brought him to South America, the South Pacific, and most importantly the Galapagos Islands. Darwin made many observations on the diversity of the flora and fauna on these islands, and noticed that although the species were unique to the environment, they were similar to species in other parts of the world. Darwin noticed that so many plants and animals were well suited to the environment they inhabited. Artificial selection are breeding experiments allowing us to select specific traits, and Darwin wondered if there was a force in nature similar to artificial selection. He then came up with the hypothesis of natural selection and "survival of the fittest." Natural selection stated the changes in population occurs when organisms with favorable adaptations reproduce and pass on the traits. An adaptation is any trait that aids in the chance of survival and reproduction of an organism. Evidence that Darwin's theory of evolution exists are fossil records, anatomical records, molecular records, and artificial selection. Along with learning about Darwin, this week we learned about the evolution leading up to modern man. We have learned about the various stages such as the Australopithecus, Homo habilis, and the Homo ergaster.

http://www.biology-online.org/images/darwin_finches.jpg