After Darwin published The Origin of Species, the supporting evidence for his ideas was so complete that common descent became a __________ accepted by most biologists. The Acceptance of Common Descent After Darwin’s The Origin of Species

The Acceptance of Common Descent After Darwin’s The Origin of Species

Since the publication of Darwin’s On the Origin of Species in 1859, the supporting evidence for his theory of common descent has since become so complete that it has become accepted by most biologists. The idea of common descent states that all forms of life share a common ancestor, and that natural selection, as proposed by Darwin, is the driving force behind the evolution of species. This idea was initially met with skepticism by many in the scientific community, as it contradicted the belief that organisms were created in their present form. However, since then, numerous studies have been conducted that support the idea of common descent. For example, the fossil record provides evidence for the gradual change of species over time, demonstrating that species have evolved from a common ancestor (Ferrari, 2016). In addition, the discovery of DNA and its similarities among different organisms has allowed for the comparison of genetic sequences between species, further supporting the idea of common descent (Gonçalves et al., 2021). All of this evidence has resulted in the acceptance of common descent by most biologists.
The acceptance of common descent has allowed for further progress in the field of evolutionary biology. As Darwin himself noted, understanding the history of life and the steps by which it evolved is essential to understanding the diversity of life on earth (Darwin, 1859). Thus, the acceptance of common descent has allowed for the further exploration of evolutionary processes and the study of the history of life on Earth. Cont…