Importance of Darwin's Theory

Charles Darwin is one of the key pieces to be able to understand the evolution biological species. Thus, Darwin's theory is essential within the world of evolutionism, a set of biological theories that establish that current beings are the result of the evolution of beings from the past.

While Lamark, a French naturalist born in 1744, was the first to question the creationism, theory by which the beings of our planet have been created by a supreme being, Darwin went one step further. In addition to throwing these beliefs to the ground, he assured that we not only lived in a continuous evolution. Besides, he introduced into evolutionary theories the term natural selection, a concept that today is essential to explain the evolution of organisms on our planet.

Darwin revolutionized the world with his book The Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, which was published in 1859. That was the first time that we could observe his theories, related to this concept of natural selection.

What is that about natural selection? According to Darwin,

It is important to know that this variation must follow some guidelines. It must be hereditary, so it cannot be the cause of any mutation. They will simply be traits that, when possessed, favor the survival of a certain species, and that can later be passed from generation to generation. This is precisely how the evolution of species after millions and millions of years is reached.

One of Darwin's most famous examples in his Theory is that of giraffes. In a population of giraffes we would find specimens with longer necks and legs. However, if we are presented with a dry season, the short-necked giraffes will be the first to die, since they are the ones that do not reach the treetops, having to share their main food with the rest of the animals in the area. Thus, long-necked giraffes are the ones with the greatest probability They have to survive, and everything is said to reproduce, so their long neck and legs will be inherited by their young.

We find very clear examples today. For example in the world of health. It is not a secret that different viruses and bacteria are evolving and becoming immune to traditional medicine. This has a lot to do with Darwin's natural selection. If over the years there are some viruses or bacteria that manage to survive and reproduce, we will find virus strains that are completely resistant to the drugs we use in the present.