Studying Evolution

Species and natural selection are foundational concepts in understanding Darwin’s theory of evolution. These two concepts form the title of Charles Darwin’s legionary publication

On the origin of species by means of natural selection, or the preservation of favoured races in the struggle for life.”

Swedish botanist Carolus Linnaeus’ (pictured below) popularized the use of the term “species,” and Darwin popularized the term “natural selection.” Exploring these two core concepts is essential to understanding the theory of evolution.

(This page continues our Understanding Evolution series)

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Fossil Record

Ancient fossils on MadagaskarFossils offer a glimpse into the past. Fossils are the remains or traces of organisms in a moment of time. The fossil record is the collective remains or imprints of preserved life forms that once lived on Earth.

The term “fossil” originated from the Latin term fossilis meaning “obtained by digging.”

Fossils have played an essential role in the history of evolution, beginning with Xenophanes (570–480 BC), a Greek philosopher who found a fossilized sea creature in terrestrial sediments.

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Biography of Charles Darwin

Charles DarwinThe biography of Charles Darwin (1809-1882) gives insight into the influences paving his career path. Darwin is widely known as an English naturalist that transfigured evolutionary biology.

Of the revolutionary thinkers who have shaped the past century, the biography of Darwin stands as one of the most provocative and influential—USA Today rated Darwin as one of the twentieth century’s top ten most influential persons. Continue Reading

Logic and Science

 

Logic and ScienceThe intersection of logic and science is tricky to navigate. While science at Christ’s College was not Charles Darwin’s major, as the “father” of evolution with ministry plans, navigating this intersection with conflicting forces determined the course of his theory of natural selection.

In a recent British poll, only the Bible was narrowly voted as more valuable to humanity than the Origin of Species. Darwin argued that life on Earth is united into a single tree of life by common descent – all organisms are from one common ancestor.

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