Darwinian Thought

Charles Darwin founded the theory of evolution, which basically said that animals rely on the rule of “survival of the fittest”. Darwin figured out that evolution was present, but he had a lot of holes in his theory-which he knew about. If he was able to do DNA test like we are able to today, he would have had access to the answers of many of his questions. All you really need to do to understand evolution is to map genes and find mutations. When a new species or variation of a species develops, it is due to a mutation. The species survives if a mutation is helpful to the animal. If it fulfills its purpose- which is to survive and reproduce successful offspring. For example, if a mouse has a light colored coat and lives in light sand, than that trait is beneficial. If the mouse moves to dark rocks, its light coat will stand out to predators so it will be seen and eaten. If a mutation arises where the coat is dark then the mouse will survive on the dark rocks. This mutation would be beneficial and so it will survive and be passed on to many other generations.

Darwin suggested that humans are descended from apes and was ridiculed for it. IT is accepted in science today, but the puzzle now is how we can have 99% of the same DNA as chimps, but be so different. Our hands are a big difference. Our hands are more versatile and dexterous. Scientists found a difference in DNA having to do with a switch connected to the use of thumbs that accounts for our differences. We also have a mutation that makes our jaws smaller then chimps and so our brains keep expanding and growing. To find out more differences between chimps and humans, scientists need to look for spots that are different between humans and chimps but the same in chimps and other animals. Most of the differences were actually in “switches” to control genes, no in the actual genes. Half of the differences were related to the brain. A small change can have a profound effect because of the switches in DNA.

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