Wildlife and Flowers: CHARLES DARWIN'S THEORY OF EVOLUTION

DARWIN'S FINCHES WITH WHICH HE PROVED THE EVOLUTION

The theory of evolution did not start with Charles Darwin. Although it is more accepted today.

The earliest record we have from the Greek philosopher Aristotle (384-322 BC) believing in a 'ladder of nature'. He was the first person to classify animals to study their progress from the lower forms of life to man. His theory was doomed because it was regarded as blasphemy by the church. People believed that all creatures were created by God at the same time.

The fossil found from dinosaurs was explained as animals drowned in Noah's Flood. They were named 'antediluvian' which means 'before the Flood'.

The Swedish botanist Karl von Limne who is known by the name of Carolus Linnaeus (1707-78) had changed that theory. He classified all known plants and animals according to their physical similaritie

The naturalist Chevalier de Lamarck (1744-1829) put forward a theory of evolution in 'the inheritance of acquired characteristics'. He had the idea that an organism changed in response to the environment and then developed further to the next generation. Like the giraffe which has to stretch its neck to reach the leaves on top of the tree. Its neck grows longer and it is passed onto the next generation.

Lamarck met with ridicule and died in poverty. The idea was wrong but he was on the right track on whole.

The question is still not settled because the giraffe also grew long legs. To enable it to drink it has to splay its legs. So the giraffe should have a long enough neck to stand and drink.

Apparently there are 1.5 million different living things today. The origin can be traced back through fossil records to the first simple organism. However, in spite of all that knowledge and discovery there are still many questions which have not been answered.

Baron Georges Cuvier had the theory that changes occur through sudden catastrophes. Since it went alongside with the Bible the Church accepted his ideas. This would also explain why the dinosaurs died out (because of the Great Flood). They also believed that the Earth was created in 4004 BC.

The geologist Sir Charles Lyatt believed in the theory that changes came about gradually with molten forces under ground, wind and rain. This was right the opposite and the church were not pleased at all. They also thought that the Earth was millions of years old and that started Darwin's theories.

Darwin had the theory of natural selection in other words 'survival of the fittest'. He watched creatures and noticed that they compete with each other about better food or more food. The same goes with avoiding predators. With this aim they develop different methods. Therefore they grow better and/or developed some method and pass it on to the next generation. Although it is very gradually from one generation to the next but eventually it adds to evolution. Today it is known that these changes are brought about by genetic mutation in the nucleus cells. At Darwin's time this knowledge could not have been discovered.

A good proof is the Hawaiian Islands. They had been created by volcanic eruptions. There were no birds there. It is assumed that there were finch-like birds, maybe the honeycreepers, blown there by wind. Nowadays there are at least six different species with various beaks which grew of having different diets

Grosbeak Finch = seeds = broad short beak
Grosbeak have 13 living species and belong to
a larger family Carduelinae