Was Darwin Wrong? (Essay Sample)

Was Darwin Wrong
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Was Darwin Wrong?
Introduction
Charles Darwin is assumed to be the father of evolution through his book “The Origin Of Species”. Alongside other theories that explains the origin of life, Darwin came up with a more convincing theory about the origin of life patterns. The Darwin theory is based on four categories: biogeography, paleontology, embryology and morphology. Biogeography studies the distribution of creatures in different geographic locations and why they exist there. Paleontology focuses on extinct life forms as revealed in the fossil records. Embryology examines the various development stages of organisms before birth or hatching. Morphology is the study of anatomical shape and design.
Biogeography, is based on the clustering of species of similar characteristics on different geographical locations. Darwin tried to answer the question “why some of the closely allied organisms are found on the same continent”. For instance, Darwin noted that the adjacent places in South America are dominated by two similar species of large flightless birds (Rhea americana and Pterocnemia pennata) but not by ostriches in Africa or emus in Australia. South America also has small rodents which has similar characteristics (agoutis and viscachas) in the terrestrial habitat and the coypus and capybaras in the wetlands. Likewise, Darwin noted that in South America, hares and rabbits dominate the terrestrial areas and the beavers and the muskrats dominates the wetlands. On addition, Darwin also noted three forms of mockingbird with contrasting characteristics each on different island in Galapagos. Due to the occurrence of similar species in the space, Darwin therefore concluded that organisms of the same species originate from a common ancestor.
Paleontology also describes the evolution based on the clustering of organism but over a specified period of time. The vertical arrangement of geological materials due to sedimentary processes over the years with light traces of fossils provides a conclusive record showing the kind of species which lived over a specific period of time. The same way the less ancient rocks lie on top of the more ancient rocks is similar to how animals and plants fossils lie in a stratum. Darwin noted that species with most contrasting characteristics tend to be adjacent to each other in the successive strata. A specific species lasts for a period of time then it is succeeded with another species that is more advanced in terms of characteristics. In North America, a horse-like creature, Hyracotherium was succeeded by Orohippus, then Epihippus, then Mesohipppus which was later succeeded by a variety of modern American critters.
Embryology focuses on different stages of development an organism undergoes until birth or h