Evolution

[sykosat2004]

What evidence is there that made darwin think Population numbers tend to remain the same over long periods of time.

Any links would be great

[Peter Pedant]

at the beginning of the nineteenth century population curves were assumed to be exponential.

By the middle when Darwin was writing, there were a variety of equations  - logistic equation  - which tailed off  to a max and also described various lab populations

THEN people tried to decide when the max population had been reached, and saw to their dismay that the 'final' number was breached....

[jimmer]

scarcity of resources and disease provide good evidence. Fosils also provide good evidence. Prior to Darwin most people believed the biblical message that the earth was about 6000 years old. The discovery of fosils proved the world was infact much older (4 billion years). Given the age of the earth we would be somewhat more crowded if populations did not tend toward equilibrium over the long term. Short term fluctuations are expected.

 

jim

[jimmer]

I forgot, of course, to mention extinctions which are a very important part of the equation. If the dinosaurs hadn't gone extinct we would still be shrew like mammals.

[sykosat2004]

thanks for those answers ive got a ten page essay to do on evolution!