Question

A gradual change from an ancestral type was referred to by Darwin as:

Select one:


a. Uniformitarianism

b. Catastrophism

c. Descent with modification

d. Convergent evolution

e. Principle of superposition

Answer 1

Charles Darwin referred to the gradual change from an ancestral type as descent with modification. This concept is key to Darwin's theory of evolution, which suggests that changes in species occur through slow and gradual processes rather than abrupt changes.

Step-by-step explanation:

The gradual change from an ancestral type was referred to by Charles Darwin as descent with modification. This concept aligns with Darwin's support of gradualism, a cornerstone of his theory of evolution. Geological changes, as supported by Darwin's contemporaries such as Hutton and Lyell, laid the groundwork for Darwin to apply similar principles to biological changes over time. This gradualism stands in contrast to the punctuated equilibrium model, which suggests that evolution involves long periods of little change interrupted by rapid changes.

Darwin's concept is a fundamental aspect of evolutionary biology, emphasizing that common descent and the diversification of species occur through accumulated modifications over successive generations due to natural selection.