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Question

Which of the following helped Charles Darwin to explain the principle of overproduction of organisms leading to a struggle for existence?
  1. Mendel's principles of inheritance
  2. Hugo de Vries theory of mutation
  3. T. R. Malthus's essay on population
  4. Lamarck's theory of evolution

A
Mendel's principles of inheritance
B
Lamarck's theory of evolution
C
T. R. Malthus's essay on population
D
Hugo de Vries theory of mutation
Solution
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Charles Darwin was influenced by many writers, scholars and philosophers. One of his influences was Thomas Malthus, a late-eighteenth century economist who wrote: "Essay on the Principle of Population" (1798), which Darwin read and was inspired by. The central theme of Malthus' work was that population growth would always overpower food supply growth, creating perpetual states of hunger, disease, and struggle. The natural, ever-present struggle for survival caught the attention of Darwin, and he extended Malthus' principle to the evolutionary scheme. Darwin considered that some of the competitors in Malthus' perpetual struggle would be better equipped to survive. Those that were less able would die out, leaving only those with the more desirable traits. Through his research, Darwin concluded that this ongoing struggle between those more and less fit to survive would produce a never-ending progression of changes in the organism. In its simplest form, this is evolution through natural selection. Thus, option C is correct.

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