Theories of Evolution
Foundation
The theory of evolution is an integrative theory of contemporary biology. Theories are spoken of because the subject recreates the different interpretations and explanations that took place and the change that they underwent throughout history. Originally created to explain the causes of the diversity of organisms, the phenomenon of adaptation and the origin of species, its further development transformed it into a powerful conceptual tool, within which the scientific explanation of the most extreme levels of organization of living matter. She extends her explanatory power from the emergence and development of cellular organelles to the interpretation of historical changes in ecosystems, from the deciphering of the primitive origins of living matter, to the emergence of the socio-cultural level of organization represented by our own species. In addition to inscribing the phenomena of the various biological levels in their condition as natural-historical processes, the theory of evolution is an explanatory theory that not only describes evolutionary events, but also elucidates the mechanisms underlying the changes that took place in the course of the transformations of living matter. Originally derived from the growing interpretive inquiry of naturalists, students of diversity and the structure of animals and plants, evolutionary theory was undergoing its own process of maturation through the increasing incorporation of other areas of knowledge. biological: embryology, Mendelian genetics, comparative anatomy, paleontology, cytogenetics, microbiology, molecular genetics, behavioral theory, population and community ecology, etc.
The theory of evolution in its current version is experiencing a remarkable growth in depth and breadth and the reevaluation of some of its main paradigms, which considerably expands its explanatory capacity. A thorough understanding of evolutionary theory is imperative for the biologist and for the biological science teacher. It is so both for its integrating theoretical implications and for its value as a basis for the updated approach of various research topics in the general domain of biological sciences, as well as for its significance to make the applications of biology more effective.
Teaching team
Responsible: Cecilia Provensal - Andrea Steinmann
Members: Daniela Gomez - Facundo Contreras