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Modern Synthesis and a brief history of evolution

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How is the Modern Synthesis theory of evolution different than Darwinian Evolution? What is it. How and when was it developed? What are the main tenets of the Modern Synthesis?

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Solution Summary

The Modern Synthesis is a term that describes our current view of evolutionary theory. The Modern Synthesis is a synthesis between historical views, namely evolution by natural selection, and modern views which incorporate our current understanding of genetics and other mechanisms of evolution such as random genetic drift. The Modern Synthesis is a theory of how evolution works at the gene and population level, whereas Darwinian evolutionary theory was more concerned with individuals and species.

This is followed by a historical summary of the Theory of Evolution.

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The Modern Synthesis is a term that describes our current view of evolutionary theory. The Modern Synthesis is a synthesis between historical views, namely evolution by natural selection, and modern views which incorporate our current understanding of genetics and other mechanisms of evolution such as random genetic drift. The Modern Synthesis is a theory of how evolution works at the gene and population level, whereas Darwinian evolutionary theory was more concerned with individuals and species.

A brief history of the theory of Evolution:

In Western Europe in the late 1700's and early 1800's the idea of evolution was common among scholars. However, until Darwin, there wasn't a mechanism to explain evolution. This mechanism, Natural Selection, gave the theory of evolution some validity and people slowly began to consider evolution by Natural Selection a valid ...

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