Darwinism or Theory of Natural Selection : HSEB Biology (Grade-XI)

Charles Darwin

Charles Robert Darwin was a great naturalist and philosopher of England. At the age of about 20, he got an opportubity to have a voyage of exploration on a famous ship Beagle in 1831. During his expedition, Darwin spent five years for extensive study of nature and collected alot of data on variation. After returning back in 1936, he compiled all these data and published his monumental work on the Origin of Species by Natural Selection in the book "Origin of Species" in 1839. This theory was popularly known as Theory of Natural Selection or Darwinism.

Facts of Darwinism
Darwinism is based on several facts and observations which are as follows :

1. Enormous fertility or Over production
2. Struggle for Existence
3. Natural Selection (Survival of the fittest)
4. Variation and heredity
5. Origin of species
   
(Description on each point will be added shortly. Keep Patience.)


Criticism or Objections to Darwinism
Darwin's theory of natural selection was so reasonable and well supported that most of the biologists soon accepted it. But some objections raised by other scientists are enumerated as follows :

1. It did not explain the effect of use and disuse and the presence of vestigial organs.
2. He did not differentiate between somatic and germinal variations.
3. Darwinism explained the survival of the fittest but not the arrival of the fittest.
4. Darwin indirectly accept the Lamarckian theory of inheritance of acquired characters.
5. The pangenesis theory of Darwin was kept in dark.
6. He didn't explain the causes of variation. He said that continuous variation are mainly responsible for the evolution which is not true.
7. Darwin did not describe about over specialization of certain organs which may lead to the extinction of organisms.