Reference no: EM133933389
The Making of a Theory: Darwin, Wallace and Natural Selection
1. In the mid-1800s, when Darwin was alive and doing his studies, people generally believed two principles, based on religious interpretations, regarding the different species of plant and animal life on Earth. What were they?
2. Charles Darwin was intrigued by a specific LIVING animal and a specific fossil, both of which he observed in Argentina (and he ate one of them). What were the two animals, and what important question did they raise?
3. Spanish colonists told Darwin something about the tortoises on the different islands in the Galapagos, and this influenced Darwin's thoughts on speciation. What was it about the tortoises?
4. What radical (at the time) idea did Darwin develop based on his observations of the animals of the Galapagos?
5. Alfred Wallace made detailed observations of many different animals, especially birdwing butterflies, while traveling in what part of the world?
6. Alfred Wallace arrived at one of the same conclusions of Darwin, specifically that over time, species do what (One word! See #4 above) ?
7. Alfred Wallace collected and observed large numbers of individuals of the same species (such as his butterflies), and noted something in particular that could give some individuals an advantage over others. In one word, what was it?
8. The video discusses monkeys and orangutans in Borneo, marsupial tree kangaroos in New Guinea, and the "Wallace Line". In a few sentences, describe TWO important conclusions that we draw from this information, especially as it applies to speciation.
9. Thomas Malthus was an important influence on Wallace's thinking. Incorporating some of Malthus' ideas with his own observations, Wallace concluded that there are TWO major forces, one of them rather unpleasant, that drive how species can change. What are they?
10. Darwin's publication is considered by many to be the birth of modern biology. If Wallace had not contacted Darwin to tell him about his ideas of the evolution of species, Wallace may have beat him to the publisher and become the famous scientist. What is the title of Darwin's publication, and in what year was it published?