Episode 21: Introduction to Evolution

Early Thoughts

Early evolutionary thoughts were shaped by ideas that predated Darwin, such as those of Jean Baptiste Lamarck. James Fodor explains that Lamarck proposed the theory of transmutation of species, suggesting that organisms could acquire characteristics during their lifetime and pass them on to offspring. This idea was later disproven with the advent of modern genetics, which showed that acquired traits are not heritable 1. Fodor also highlights the role of fossils in shaping early evolutionary ideas, as they provided evidence that life has changed over time 1.

The classic example is that the giraffe got its long neck because early short-necked ancestors would reach up to try and get at the leaves on higher branches of trees.

--- James Fodor

These early concepts laid the groundwork for Darwin's later theories, despite their inaccuracies.

   

Darwin's Impact

Charles Darwin's theory of natural selection revolutionized the understanding of evolution by providing a mechanism for how species change over time. James Fodor emphasizes that while evolution as a concept existed before Darwin, his unique contribution was the idea of natural selection, which he supported with extensive evidence 2. Darwin's theory was developed before the modern understanding of genetics, yet it has been confirmed and expanded by subsequent discoveries in DNA and heredity 2.

Darwin came up with the idea of natural selection himself. That is his unique contribution.

--- James Fodor

Fodor also discusses other mechanisms of evolution, such as artificial selection and sexual selection, which further illustrate the complexity of evolutionary processes 3.