Conceptual Change in Action

So we were given a 4 question questionnaire about blind cave salamanders, a pride of lions (of different levels of fitness), antibiotics and insecticides.

This questionnaire was to see what our conception (prior knowledge) of natural selection was. We then watched a snippet of a movie about multi drug resistant TB. After the movie we then discussed our answers from the questionnaire with Dr Holtman.

I then discovered that my answers were based on more Lamarckian view. My answers were not so much based on want and need but more focused on purpose. Instead of the more accepted Darwinian view of variation amongst a species (although its important to remember that Lamarcks' views *were* once scientific).

Original image: roarprawn.blogspot.com

For me it was more a case of conceptual exchange. I realised that natural selection does not happen because of lack of purpose or need, rather because of variation. This variation might increase the fitness of certain species and allow them to reproduce, so resulting in the loss or gain of features.

What's odd is that reading that last paragraph, the concept seems ridiculously simple and quite embarrassing that it took me to Hons. level to address. Funny how easily a misconception can lodge in ones brain.