What was the novelty and brilliant insight of Darwin's theory of natural selection?

What was the novelty and brilliant insight of Darwin's theory of natural selection?
  1. The idea that population size will grow exponentially if everyone reproduces maximally
  2. The fact that natural resources are limited and competition for resources leads to population stability
  3. The assertion that variations, which are heritable and make resource utilization better for some, will enable only those to reproduce and leave more progeny, leading to a change in population characteristics and the appearance of new forms
  4. The observation that individuals in a population vary in characteristics and that most variations are inherited

Solution

Darwin's theory of natural selection is based on certain observations about populations, such as limited resources and competition for survival. However, his unique insight was that variations which are heritable and improve resource utilization for some individuals will lead to a change in population characteristics over time, leading to the appearance of new forms.

Asked in: NCERT

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