AP BIOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -Answer and Explanation: Darwin realized that the economist Malthus’s theory of population control could be generalized to any population of organisms. Thomas Malthus had observed that there are always more people than the resources needed to take care of them.

Detailed explanation-2: -Malthus’ work made Darwin realize the importance of overpopulation and how it was necessary to have variability in different populations. Darwin also used Malthus’ ideas to use competition as well as the survival in numbers idea to come up with his full idea of natural selection.

Detailed explanation-3: -In 1838, Darwin read Malthus’ essay and came to realize that all plant and animal populations have this same potential to rapidly increase their numbers unless they are constantly kept in check by predators, diseases, and limitations in food, water, and other resources that are essential for survival.

Detailed explanation-4: -Population Control Malthus argued that since the population will be larger than the food supply, many people would then die due to the shortage of food. He theorized that this correction would function through Positive (or Natural) Checks and Preventative Checks.

Detailed explanation-5: -Darwin postulates that growth is capped by the amount of readily available food and by the increased spread of parasites and disease among dense groups. Other facts include a corresponding rise in predator numbers, which all feeds into the Struggle. This same concept can be applied to humans.