(Sail) Study Help Only Essays - Charles Darwin, Biological Evolution

(Sail) Study Help Only On the voyage of the Beagle (1831-1836) Darwin collected and described thousands of animals and plants. In South America he observed the adaptations of organisms to a variety of habitat from jungle to grassland to mountain habitats. In the temperate regions the species resembled more closely the species of the tropical regions of South America rather than the corresponding species of the temperate regions of Europe. For example, in the grasslands of Argentina there are no rabbits, however, there are rodents that resemble rabbits; these rodents are unrelated to European rabbits but are similar to other rodents in South America. Moreover, the fossils in South America are dissimilar to European fossils but have similarities with extant (i.e. currently living) plants and animals in South America. Darwin was particularly intrigued by the finches on the islands of Galapagos which are located approximately 500 miles from the mainland of South America. These finches, although unique to these islands, were clearly related to mainland species. There were 14 different species or genera of Galapagos Finch and their bills were adapted for particular diets. Darwin amassed these and other data including observations on variability in domestic animals (for example, dogs) which had been brought about by generations of selective breeding. As well as drawing on his own observations, Darwin drew from the work of Linnaeus, Cuvier, Hutton, Lyell, Malthus and Lamarck. In the hierarchial classificatory system of Linnaeus there is a tacit acknowledgement of relatedness, for example, species belonging to one genus have more in common with each other than they do with species belonging to another genus. Linnaeus was a creationist - as evidenced by his egotistical proclamation God creates, Linnaeus arranges. Cuvier, also a creationist, was a comparative morphologist (he described the similarity/dissimilarity in anatomy of diverse animals). Cuvier founded the science of paleontology and described the differences between the fossil flora and fauna in different strata of rock: he observed that the more recent strata had fossils that more closely resembled extant organisms. Cuvier believed that the discontinuities between fossils in different strata were brought about by catastrophes such as floods which caused the extinction of ma ny species living at a particular time. This interpretation of earth's history is termed catastrophism and was also held by many contemporary geologists. By contrast, Hutton and subsequently Lyell held that geological processes are slow and subtle but that over prolonged periods of time (millions of years) these can lead to major changes; implicit in this viewpoint is an age for the earth radically different from the 6,000 years of the biblical creationists. Other key influences on Darwin were Malthus who had concluded that war and famine were inevitable as the human population grew more rapidly than available resources, and Lamarck who had proposed a theory of evolution based on a continuous process of gradual modification due to acquired characteristics. Both Darwin and Wallace brought together a multitude of facts including the geographical distribution of organisms, comparative morphology of living organisms and their fossil precursors. They postulated that long-term environmental changes including movement of land masses and changes in climate could have served in the process of natural selection over many generations with the result that diverse species arose from ancestral types. Darwin termed this descent with modification (the term evolution was introduced later, as was the tautology survival of the fittest). Darwin's ideas can be summarized in his own words from The Origin of Species: As many more individuals of each species are born than can possibly survive, and as consequently there is a frequently recurring struggle for existence, it follows that any being, if it vary in any manner profitable to itself, under the complex and sometimes varying conditions of life, will have a better chance of survival and thus be naturally selected. From the strong principle of inheritance, any selected variety will tend to propagate its new and modified form. In assessing the contribution of Darwin and Wallace it should be noted that the key role in heredity of the nucleus, chromosomes and DNA were not demonstrated until 1892, 1903, 1943, respectively. Also, the Darwin-Wallace theory of evolution was developed without an appreciation of Mendel's work on inheritance (ironically, Mendel had written to Darwin with

White Light

White Light ‚“Marley get back here‚” a shout after my dog who has just broken another leash and is now running through the forest after a squirrel. ‚“Marley‚” I shout again but it‚s no use I guess the chase is on. As run after him, I trip over a root protruding from the ground. The last thing I see before hitting the ground is Marley looking at me tail wagging. I sit up slowly my head is killing me. I can‚t see straight never mind think straight. As the world slowly stops spinning. I try to figure out where I am. The light is dim and I can‚t see much more than trees. Then I remember chasing after Marley. ‚“Crack‚”, I turn in the direction of the noise but I can‚t see anything. ‚“Marley is that you‚” my voice comes out as a small whisper. I listen for the noise again but I hear nothing but an eerie silence, I can‚t even hear my heartbeat.English: Paddock near Marley House.

ENTREPRENURSHIP CAPITAL & THE FIRM Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

ENTREPRENURSHIP CAPITAL & THE FIRM - Essay Example This is followed by the factors contributing to the planned start-up business and the subsequent running and management of the venture. Influence of Personal Background The interview with the entrepreneur revealed that he is the only child of his parents. As a result, his parents were very attentive to his upbringing. According to Veciana (2007, p. 55), family context and childhood are among the basic factors affecting the decision to create a firm. As he belongs to a developing country, his parents gave utmost importance to his education. He was home-schooled for a year before joining kindergarten. The entrepreneur believes that during this time, he was taught by his parents as well as a home tutor. His father, in particular, often took him along to several parts of the city that he had to visit in the course of business. In this way, he got exposed to various trades from a very early age. His father is probably the very first role model that inspired him to become an entrepreneur. He owned a textile business and the entrepreneur would spend a few hours in the day with his father at the shop. This fits in with Shane’s (2010, p. 149) statement that children of entrepreneurs are more likely to become entrepreneurs themselves. The entrepreneur also reported that his parents did not place many restrictions on him as a child and allowed him to pursue his interests. This encouraged him to be bold and take up challenges. Although the entrepreneur’s parents were affectionate towards him, they also encouraged him to be independent and assume responsibility for his actions. He stated that from the age of three, he began to sleep in a separate room and was responsible for keeping it organized from the age of seven. Even at school, his parents did not interfere when he was punished or scolded by his teachers for not following instructions. He recollects that these influences played a great role in shaping his personality to take up entrepreneurship as a care er choice. As stated by Ginbcus, Vermeulen, and Radulova (2008, p. 23), entrepreneurs tend to be independent and do not have high needs for conformity. This tendency is reflected in the personality of the entrepreneur interviewed. As mentioned earlier, family influences played an important part in shaping the entrepreneur’s eventual career choice. The father being an entrepreneur himself, there was a role model readily available within the immediate environment of the entrepreneur. As a child and even while growing up, the entrepreneur observed his father making business decisions and responding to challenges. During the interview, the entrepreneur stated that observing his father made him aware of the benefits as well as the risks of being an entrepreneur. Sometimes, his father had to make decisions that put the financial future of the family at risk. Sometimes, the risk paid off. But the family also had to face financial difficulties during some periods. The entrepreneur st ated that the determination of his father to persevere and the support of his mother helped them to overcome temporary setbacks. At any rate, the challenges did not deter the entrepreneur from following in his father’s footsteps. In fact, the entrepreneur said that often he felt that his father was not making the right decision. He then resolved that he would not make the same mistakes if he were to run his own business someday. Douglas (2009, p. 7) describes