The main gap in Darwin's original theory was that he could not explain
Correct answer: B. how variations arise and how they are passed on
- A. why more offspring are produced than can survive
- B. how variations arise and how they are passed on
- C. the struggle for existence between individuals
- D. the geographical distribution of related species
Explanation
Darwin had no knowledge of genes, so although he built his whole argument on heritable variation he could not say where variation came from or why it was not blended away in each generation. Mendel's work, rediscovered in 1900, supplied particulate inheritance and mutation supplied the source, and the combination became neo Darwinism. Overproduction, struggle and distribution were all matters Darwin documented well.
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About Darwinism
Darwinism explains evolution through inherited variation, competition for limited resources, survival and reproduction of better-adapted organisms, and natural selection over generations. It is distinguished from Lamarckism because Darwin's explanation depends on selection acting on existing heritable differences, not the inheritance of acquired characteristics.
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