Evolution and Darwin
Terms
Common Descent
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The belief that all present life evolved from a few common ancestors.
Gradualism
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The Darwinian belief that evolution takes place in innumerable small steps. Led
Darwin to believe that the world was much older than previously thought.
Darwinism
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The theory of evolution proposed by Charles Darwin. It holds that species
change over time and that this change comes about through the mechanism of
natural selection.
Natural Selection
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The theory holding that competition exists within species, determining which
species live to have offspring, and pass their traits on to those offspring.
Population Speciation
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The Darwinian belief that there are random phenotypic variations within species
that confer advantages selected for by natural selection; these variations
can be passed from parent to offspring.
