Difference Between Darwinism and Neo Darwinism

The key difference between Darwinism and Neo Darwinism is that the Darwinism does not include Mendelian genetics while Neo Darwinism incorporates recent discoveries of inheritance and genes.

Charles Darwin is an English Naturalist. He proposed a theory called Darwinism or evolutionary theory of speciation by natural selection. Thus, this theory became the foundation for modern evolutionary studies. Furthermore, with the new advancements in evolutionary biology, new facts and discoveries were incorporated into Darwins’ theory and built Neo Darwinism. Hence, Neo Darwinism is the modern and modified evolutionary theory of Darwinism.

CONTENTS

1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Darwinism
3. What is Neo Darwinism
4. Similarities Between Darwinism and Neo Darwinism
5. Side by Side Comparison – Darwinism vs Neo Darwinism in Tabular Form
6. Summary

What is Darwinism?

Darwinism is the theory proposed by Charles Darwin regarding the evolution of a species by natural selection. This theory states that all species of organisms undergo natural selection and the natural selection will select the species that possess genetic variations.

Figure 01: Charles Darwin

When an organism possesses inherited variation, their ability to compete, survive and reproduce in the environment increases. Because the evolution favours such variations. Darwins’ theory includes three principles namely variation, heredity and struggles for exist.

What is Neo Darwinism?

Neo Darwinism is the modern and modified version of Darwinism or Darwin’s theory of evolution. It incorporates new facts and discoveries of modern biology. It accounts for mutation, variation, heredity, isolation as well as natural selection. Therefore, the basis of the Neo Darwinism is Darwinism. According to the Neo Darwinism, speciation and origin of new species occur as a result of the combined effect of factors mentioned above.

This new concept or theory was built with the support of Wallace, Hondey, Heinrich, Haeckel, Weismann and Mendel.  Moreover, Modern Synthetic Theory of Evolution is another name for Neo Darwinism. Neo Darwinism could overcome the short comings of Darwinism.

What are the Similarities Between Darwinism and Neo Darwinism?

• Both Darwinism and Neo Darwinism talk about the evolution of a species.
• Both account natural selection as a factor.
• Darwinism and Neo Darwinism theories include Charles Darwins’ findings.

What is the Difference Between Darwinism and Neo Darwinism?

Darwinism is the original evolutionary theory proposed by Charles Darwin and its modified version of ia the Neo Darwinism theory. Therefore, Neo Darwinism eliminates the shortcomings of Darwinism. Below infographic gives more details of the difference between Darwinism and Neo Darwinism.

Summary – Darwinism vs Neo Darwinism

Darwinism and Neo Darwinism are two evolutionary theories. Darwinism is the original theory proposed by Charles Darwin while Neo Darwinism is the modification of the original theory of Darwin. Neo Darwinism has eliminated the shortcomings and drawbacks of Darwinism. It accounts for different factors such as variation, mutation, isolation, heredity and natural selection, etc. This is the difference between Darwinism and Neo Darwinism.

Reference:

1.“Neo-Darwinism.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 3 July 2018. Available here  
2.Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. “Darwinism.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 28 Mar. 2018. Available here  

Image Courtesy:

1.’Charles Darwin by Julia Margaret Cameron 2’By Julia Margaret Cameron (Public Domain) via Commons Wikimedia 

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