Question

What are the three main principles of natural selection that Darwin (and Wallace) both discovered? These are presented by the narrator in the "great minds think a like" segment.

Answer 1

The three main principles of natural selection are the variation in traits among individuals that are inherited, the production of more offspring than can survive leading to competition, and the differential survival and reproduction of individuals with favorable traits.

Step-by-step explanation:

Principles of Natural Selection

The three main principles of natural selection, as discovered by Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace, can be summarized as follows:

1. Variation in Traits: There is variation in traits among individuals within a population, and these traits are inherited from parents to offspring.
2. Struggle for Existence: Organisms produce more offspring than can survive because resources are limited, leading to a struggle for existence.
3. Differential Survival: Offspring vary in their inherited traits, and those with traits better suited to the environment are more likely to survive and reproduce, passing these favorable traits to the next generation.

These principles lead to a process that Darwin termed "descent with modification", where advantageous traits become more common over generations, resulting in the evolution of populations. Darwin's extensive detailing in his book On the Origin of Species emphasized evolution by natural selection as a cornerstone of modern biology.