1. Who am I? I sailed to the Galapagos, islands
My ship was the Beagle and my theories have led to controversy!
Finch
Beagle
Galapagos
Who am I?

2. Theory of Evolution Reflective Learner Creative Thinker Self Manager
L.O: Understand and compare Darwin & Lemark’s theories of evolution.
Grade 4: Define ‘evolution’. Describe Charles Darwin’s Theory of Evolution
Grade 6: . Describe the theory proposed by Jean-Baptiste Lamarck. Compare and contrast Darwin and Lamarck’s theories of evolution
Grade 8: Explain why Lamarck’s theory is no longer accepted in the vast majority of cases. Describe an example of where Lamarck’s theory could be correct. Explain how and why theories, such as how evolution takes place, change over time.
Reflective
Learner
Creative
Thinker
Self
Manager
Independent
Enquirer

3. Evolution is...
... how plants and animals have adapted to survive in their environment over many years. This may mean that the way they look or behave has changed to help them suit their environment better.

4. Boardworks GCSE Science: Biology
Life on earth
Boardworks GCSE Science: Biology
Evolution
Life on earth began approximately 3,500 million years ago.
What do you think the earliest life forms were like?
All life on earth evolved from very simple organisms. Dinosaurs only appeared 3,325 million years later!
Photo credit: © 2011 Marcio Jose Bastos Silva, Shutterstock.com
There are many theories of how life first appeared on Earth, but lack of evidence has made it extremely difficult to know which theory is correct. 4

5. Jean-Baptiste Lamarck
Born: 1744
Died: 1829 (age 85)
Charles Darwin
Born: 1809
Died: 1882 (age 73)

6. Darwin’s Finches
FERNANDINO ISLAND. SIIMILAR SHAPE BUT SMALLER FOR SMALL FRUIT
PINTA ISLAND. WIDE TO EAT LARGE FRUIT
SANTA CRUZ ISLAND. JUST WIDE ENOUGH TO PICK UP WORMS
FINE POINT TO PICK UP SEEDS

7. Darwin’s Finches
Originally, small numbers of finches were blown onto the Galapagos Islands by storms
Darwin noticed each species of finch had different shaped beaks due to life on its specific island - habitat and food
Depending on the food available, birds with a particular beak shape were more successful than others
In the original populations, the natural variation in beak shape was due to differences in the genes  different alleles code for different beak shapes
Due to the differences in the environment on the different islands (e.g. food), alleles for certain beak shapes would be selected for
The more successful finches survived long enough to breed and pass on their genes, producing young with ‘successful beaks’
Over time, this led to the formation of completely separate species on separate islands

8. WHAT WAS DARWINS THEORY?
1. Sometimes mutations (change in the DNA can occur…can be advantage or disadvantage)
2. This causes variation in a species

9. 3. Far too many young are produced so there is a competition for food water and those best adapted will survive ‘survival of the fittest’
4. Those that survive pass on genes (in nucleus)
5. Over millions of years it may lead to
a new species. Less adapted may
become extinct.

10. Theories of evolution GLUE THIS IN! Name: Charles Darwin Born: 1809
Died: 1882 (Age 73)
Lived in Britain, went on a five year scientific expedition around the world where he collected different species of plants and animals.
What was his theory called?
Natural selection (sometimes called survival of the fittest)
What was his idea?
He believed that all living organisms have evolved from simpler forms. Animals in the wild have lots of offspring, many of them will die , either from lack of food or predators. Those that have features that help them survive better than the others (run faster, get more food) will pass those characteristics on to their offspring.
For example?
Think of a flock of birds that migrate to an island and stay there. The island has a lot of trees that produce nuts the birds can eat, but there is not enough for all the birds to eat. A few have the birds have beaks that are shaped in such a way that makes it easier for them to crack the nutshell, that makes them more likely to survive than the others and pass that characteristic onto their children. Over time all those with the new beak survive and the others die out.
Did he have any evidence?
Lots. He collected lots of different animals on his trip and did experiments at home. But it took him 22 years to publish his ideas as they were not accepted at the time. He published them in a famous book called Origin of Species.

11. Theories of evolution
Darwin published his book in 1859 (Over 150 years ago).
At he time people were reluctant to believe him
Why didn’t people believe him?
His theory challenged the ideas in the Bible that it was God who made all the life on Earth and the animals hadn’t changed since he made them.
Many other scientists thought there was not enough evidence.
There was no way to explain why certain characteristics got passed on, it was almost 100 years later that scientists discovered DNA.

12. Lamarck’s theory of evolution
Boardworks GCSE Science: Biology
Evolution
Jean-Baptiste Lamarck ( ) was a French botanist who believed that species evolved because they inherited traits acquired through the over or under-use of body parts.
How would this theory explain a giraffe’s long neck?
The short-necked ancestors of modern giraffes needed to reach the leaves on tall trees when food was scarce.
Over their lifetimes these giraffes stretched their necks; a trait which was then passed on to their offspring. 12

14. Theories of evolution GLUE THIS IN! Name: Jean-Baptiste Lamarck
Born: 1744
Died: 1829 (Age 85)
Lived in France, was a solider and fought in a war against Prussia (what is now Germany), then retired to study medicine and biology.
What was his theory called?
Inheritance of acquired characteristics
What was his idea?
He believed that the way organisms behaved affected the features of their body. If they used something a lot over a lifetime it would grow and develop. This would be passed from a parent to its offspring. If a feature wasn’t used then it would shrink and would not be passed on.
For example?
Think of a giraffe, it has a long neck. It uses it’s neck to reach food high up in a tree. Because they use their necks a lot over their lifetime. If Lamarck’s theory was correct then that’s why their necks are long and why their children will also inherit long necks.
Did he have any evidence?
No. And we now know that it doesn’t really work like that.
For example, if your dad goes to the gym a lot and has big muscles, does that mean you will inherit muscles just as big?

15. Similarities and differences (Grade 6) Lamarck vs Darwin (Grade 4)
Theories of evolution
Independent
Enquirer
Read the profiles on Jean-Baptiste Lamarck and Charles Darwin.
Then answer the questions in your book. Can also use pages of the textbook to help.
Similarities and differences (Grade 6)
Give one similarity between Darwin and Larmark’s ideas.
Give one difference between Darwin and Lamark’s ideas.
Lamarck vs Darwin (Grade 4)
Whose theory does this best describe, Lamarck, Darwin or both of them?
Who noticed that living things evolved over time?
Who said that evolution happened due to small differences that helped the animal better survive?
Who said that evolution happened because an animal used a certain feature lots, so it developed, then their children had the same feature?
Who had lots of proof for his ideas?
Who didn’t have proof for his ideas?
Why did people object? (Grade 8)
Some people didn't believe Darwin’s ideas when he first proposed them.
Google: Why didn’t people believe Darwin?
Write a paragraph in your books explaining why he wasn’t accepted at first.
i) What were people's religious objections?
ii) What were the objections of other scientists?
iii) Were there things in his theory that science couldn’t explain yet?
iv) How long did it take people to accept his ideas?
v) Do people today still disbelieve his ideas?

16. Self Manager Reflective Learner
Exam question
Complete the exam question – you have 9 minutes!
Self
Manager
Reflective
Learner

17. Self assess using pink pen