Early Development of Biology
Before Charles Darwin there Biology was still an aged science which had been pondered by man from approximately 384 B.C. Aristotle had made the theory that organisms form a “scale of nature”, ranging from least complex to increasingly more complex; implying that species do not change over time. In the early 1700’s a philosophy labeled Natural Theology emerged asserting that the Creator had designed each species for a specific purpose. During the same time Carl Linnaeus developed a system for classifying species called taxonomy, which was a method for naming and classifying organisms.
Other theories began to emerge such as Gradualism which suggested that geological structures were formed over a long period of time; and Uniformaterianism which stated that same processes occur at the same rate. Both of these ideologies both implied that the Earth is old. Other individuals also contributed their theories as the 18th century came to an end. Thomas Malthus in 1798 suggested that human populations can increase faster than the supply of resources. However as so many theories emerged it was hard to tell which were true and which were false. An example of this was the theory purposed by Jean-Baptiste Lemarck who claimed that species evolved over time to adapt to their environment. This statement in itself was not inaccurate however Lamarck believed that adaptive evolution occurred because certain body parts were used more or less often and were either added or removed accordingly. This proposal was negated by Charles Darwin’s viewpoint.
Darwin suggested the concept of “Descent with Modification.” This novel concept relied on the idea that modification occurring through natural selection. Natural selection purposed that populations change slowly over time, not the individual. Only heritable traits would be affected. Natural selection has withstood the test of time and has become widely accepted by most scientists. It has been used to explain bug resistances to pesticides over time.
Charles Darwin created an idea that laid the foundation for the future of Biology and his theories may or may not be accurate. However, to this day they are supported by evidence that is obtained from countless experiments over the world. As Biological studies progress it is most likely that Darwin’s ideas will be re-evaluated or a new theory will be adopted; however that is not atypical of science. Science is an unbiased judge which will mold and conform to the most accurate theory of the time.
