What did Mendels findings about genetics add to Darwins theory of evolution?
In “On the Origin of Species” (1859), Charles Darwin argued that natural selection, in which an individual with characteristics conducive to survival has a longer lifespan and more offspring, was responsible for the variety of species. Gregor Mendel, the father of genetics, explained the process by which these favorable characteristics proceeded from one generation to the next.The Problem of Natural SelectionDarwin did not know the mechanism for heredity, and in particular, could not explain how a favorable mutation could become widespread in a species.Mendel’s ResearchAround the same time Darwin published his evolutionary theory, Mendel was performing experiments with pea plants, examining over 30,000 pea plants across eight generations to ascertain how a trait like height can be passed on.Mendelian InheritanceThough he did not use the term “gene,” Mendel theorized that tiny, unseen particles passed on traits.