Darwin “Natural Selection”

Natural Selection: The process by which individuals that are better adapted to their environment are more likely to survive and reproduce than other members of the same species. AKA: “Survival of the Fittest”

Darwin’s Theory 1. Organisms have changed over time. 2. There was a variation in a population 3. Certain traits helped organisms survive and reproduce better than other organisms with out those traits. 4. The environment had something to do with why organisms change.

5. Parents are able to pass on at least some of their traits to their offspring 6. Parents are only able to pass on traits they were born with. 7. Organisms are still changing.

Lamarck “Acquired Characteristics”

Acquired Characteristics: Desired changes that occurred during a parents lifetime were passed onto offspring Example: Parents that developed large muscles through exercise were thought to pass on large muscles to offspring.

Lamarck’s Theory: 1. Organisms changed because they wanted to survive 2. Organisms have change over time 3. Organisms can never become extinct 4. The environment had something to do with why organisms changed

5. Parents are able to pass on at least some of their traits to their offspring. 6. Organisms could decide to change something about their body and pass on that change to their offspring. 7. Organisms are still changing.