THEORIES OF

EVOLUTION
MELC: Explain the
occurrence of evolution
according to Lamarck
and Darwin
01
LAMARCK’S THEORY
OF EVOLUTION
JEAN BAPTISTE DE LAMARCK
French Biologist who
proposed the first modern
evolutionary theory.

He redefined evolution idea

saying that life started out
simple and become more
complex. Organism change
over time.
 THEORY OF NEED
01

THEORY OF USE AND

02 DISUSE

THEORY OF
03 INHERITANCE
THEORY OF NEED
Organisms change because
they need to. They change
in response to their
environment.
THEORY OF USE AND DISUSE
● Organs not in use
will disappear
while organs in
use will develop.
THEORY OF INHERITANCE (acquired
characteristics)
● If a parent acquires
a body structure
during its lifetime,
it could pass on
that characteristic
structure to its
offspring.
 02
DARWIN’S
THEORY
CHARLES DARWIN
● Proposed an entirely
different mechanism to
account for the
evolution of species.
● His theory of evolution
by natural selection
became the foundation
of modern science.
DARWIN’S ROUTE (1831-1835)
DARWIN’S FINCHES
● Charles Darwin was
able to see 13 varieties
of finches which varied
in size and shape from
island to island.
Different types of finches
Natural Selection
individuals within a population
with the most favorable traits
for an environment survive and
pass on those traits
SURVIVAL OF
THE FITTEST

He develop this theory in 1859

Types
OF NATURAL
SELECTION
SPECIES OVERPRODUCTION
● Organisms tend to over reproduce.
VARIATION
● No two individuals are
the same.
● Plants and animals of
the same species differ
in size, strength and
adaptive structure.
COMPETITION
● There is a struggle of
existence and the
survival of the fittest.
● Living space and food
are limited
 ADAPTATION
● A process of becoming better
suited to the environment
● It improves an
organisms’
chance of survival
 SPECIATION

● Development of
new breed of
organism or new
desirable trait
“It is not the strongest of the
species that survive, nor the most
intelligent, but rather the one most
adaptable to change.”

Charles Darwin