Parfan, Kate Lyle M.

1MBio5

Evolution: The Whole Truth About Darwin’s Theory

In our early days in academics, the name Charles Darwin is one we hear very early on. As
young children only beginning to learn about life on earth, the theory of evolution and natural
selection is introduced as one of the most basic and fundamental yet vastly significant concepts –
and in the case of my Catholic Filipino education – one of the most controversial. Darwin was an
icon and a pioneer; the primiologiste example of what happens when curiosity and intelligence
combine to create an entirely new concept, a concept that can change the very way we viewed the
world. He was bold enough to question an idea that had prevailed over centuries and centuries of
time, an idea that he himself was raised on. As a result, his theory of evolution came about, opening
up thousands of other questions, creating entirely new areas of study, and completely shifting
science’s view on the most fundamental component of life, on the very thing that makes us human.

It was interesting to learn of Charles Darwin’s humble beginnings and to realize that he
was not always the brilliant, well-educated scientist with a significant thirst for academic
knowledge. Instead, at the very core of this great biologist is a deep love for animals and nature,
as is the case with many scientists, as it should be. It was also fascinating to discover that Darwin
was actually a problematic student of sorts, never focusing quite right on his academics until he
was finally brought back to his original love for nature and life. It was surprising to me that even
Charles Darwin – this great, universally-praised scientist – found his true calling much later in life
and still succeeded. Even as he was voyaging through the continents and collecting samples, he
did not realize what he was after until the voyage was over and he took a step back to see his
sporadic work as part of a bigger, cohesive picture – how the fossils of Africa, the turtles of the
Galapagos, and the various species of finches were actually pieces of the large, ever-growing
puzzle of the study of evolution. With names like Darwin’s that are thrown about in textbooks and
classrooms, it is rare that a student ever forms a connection with the persona, and the study matter
as a result. Understanding where Darwin came from, why he studied what he did, and how this
study came about has really given me a newfound respect for the person and has also sparked my
interest a little more regarding the concepts he explored.

Seeing Darwin’s process was compelling as well. Darwin began with nothing but pure
curiosity and a steady thirst for knowledge, but this lead him to make several groundbreaking
discoveries. It was striking to find out how many clues he had been sitting on – quite literally –
until he finally came to the startling conclusion that perhaps, all the samples he collected were
connected to each other, and that every living organism on earth could be related to one another as
well. Learning how Charles Darwin pursued this hypothesis was intriguing, seeing how he
examined ideas that were quite familiar, such as dog breeding and the predator-prey relationship,
as well as the more scientific process of studying embryos under the microscope and comparing
the morphology of these young life forms to the morphology of actual, living adults, discovering
how some body parts present in embryos are actually lost once the creature is born. Seeing how
all these little clues eventually affirmed his hypothesis was striking.

It was also intriguing to examine the things that Darwin himself could not study due to the
limits of technology during this time period. The study of DNA and genetic processes is
fascinating, as is the realization that our current studies, more than a hundred years after Charles
Darwin’s time, still affirm his theory. It was interesting to see how genetic information is not as
simple as we originally thought it to be. To know that we humans, the most complex living creature
there is, have less genetic information than an ear of corn, is strange and almost baffling. Seeing
how scientists discovered the missing link – how genetic info does not only differ in structure, but
is actually manipulated by “switches” in DNA strands that could lead to the deletion or
modification of certain morphological traits – is fascinating, and it truly illustrates the wonder of
evolution. It is amazing to see how this connects to concepts we have previously seen in previous
courses, as in the fossilized remains of the Archaeopteryx and the Tiktaalik, and to see how nature
uses this mechanism to create organisms that are increasingly well-adapted to their environment
and to eliminate those that cannot adapt. Seeing how present-day scientists discovered how DNA
modifications and switches aid in the evolution of structures such as fins to legs is incredible, and
only begs the question of how much more we are yet to discover.

Overall, watching the documentary has given me a renewed sense of curiosity in the
science of life, and a stronger interest in the study of evolution. It has also given me an appreciation
for the role that Charles Darwin and modern-day scientists have played in the study of evolution
and in many other fields of study, including systematics and evolutionary taxonomy. Through their
scientific works, our view of the world has advanced greatly in the years that have passed, and it
has opened up an entirely new world of questions that we have yet to answer. It has given me a
better understanding of what makes us human, what makes us who we are – how a simple change
in our DNA sequence has set us apart from all other organisms on earth with our controlled hands
and opposable thumbs and our infinitely powerful brain, the organ that truly gives us a significant
advantage. It has opened my eyes to the incredible power of nature and the incredible mysteries
that envelop life on earth.