Darwin might have made greater advances in his theory of evolution by natural selection if he had:
A) read of the work of Charles Lyell
B) taken into consideration the theories of Malthus
C) taken into consideration the work of Gregor Mendel
D) performed experiments in plant growth and development
E) visited other remote islands that contained a limited number of species

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Darwin was unaware of Gregor Mendel's work on genetics, which was conducted around the same time. Mendel's findings on inheritance and genetic variation could have provided Darwin with a mechanism for how traits are passed down and vary within populations, which is a key component of natural selection.

Darwin Might Have Made Greater Advances in His Theory of Evolution