Question

Darwin’s theory of natural selection is objected because it
(a) Stresses upon slow and small variations
(b) Explain the adaptations of certain inherited characters
(c) Stress on interspecific competition
(d) Explain the natural calamities take a heavy annual toll on lives

Answer 1

Hint: Darwin explained that the survival of fittest allows successive generations to become better adapted to the environment by accumulating variations from generation to generation.

Complete answer:
According to Darwin, individuals possessing harmful variations are reproductively less successful. Increase in ability to reproduce by an organism with beneficial variations and leave the offspring more fertile. They are said to be the fittest organisms and they can only survive. With this phenomenon, he explained the adaptations of certain inherited species but he failed to explain the mechanism by which the variations occur.

Additional information:
- The evolutionary theory proposed by Charles RobertDarwin is called Darwinism. He published his theory of evolution in a book called “The Origin of Species” by the means of Natural selection.
- Darwin’s theory of natural selection does not explain what evolution exactly is but it explains how evolution might have occurred in nature.
- His theory is based on several facts and observations such as prodigality of production or overproduction, constancy in population, the struggle for existence, the universal occurrence of variations, natural selection, the origin of species.
- Objections raised against Darwin’s origin of species are, Darwin explains the survival of fittest but he failed to explain the arrival of species.
So, the correct answer is ‘(b) Explain the adaptations of certain inherited characters’

Note:
- Other objections to Darwin’s theory are, it could not explain the occurrence of vestigial organs over specialized organs like a mammoth tusk, etc
- It focused on small and fluctuating variations which are mostly non-heritable.