What influence did the writings of Thomas Malthus have on Darwin's ideas of natural selection?
A) Malthus described the reproduction of elephants to Darwin.
B) Malthus explained how variation was maintained within populations.
C) Malthus illustrated that some individuals possessed favorable traits while others did not.
D) Malthus wrote a detailed history of artificial selection examples.
E) Malthus showed how the human population grows faster than the food supply and that death and famine were inevitable.

Question

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Malthus's writings on the population growth and famine drew Darwin's attention to the struggle for existence among individuals within a population. Darwin applied this concept to the natural world and developed the idea of natural selection, where only the individuals with the most favorable traits survive and reproduce, leading to adaptations in a population over time. Thus, the influence of Malthus's ideas was significant, and they helped shape Darwin's understanding of the natural world.

What Influence Did the Writings of Thomas Malthus Have on Darwin's