Thomas malthus was an influential economist in the early 19th century. malthus observed that in nature, plants and animals produce far more offspring than can survive, but that disease and famine keep these populations in check. he concluded that humans were also capable of overpopulation, and that if the human growth rate was not regulated, famine and disease would become globally epidemic. he published his ideas in his essay on principles of population. how did malthus' ideas most likely influence the development of the theory of evolution? a. malthus proved that organisms that reproduce sexually have genetic variation within their population that leads to differential reproductive success. b. charles darwin was influenced by malthus' ideas when he suggested that species, like geologic structures, could evolve slowly over time. c. charles darwin was influenced by malthus' ideas when he proposed natural selection as the mechanism for evolution. d. malthus initially proposed the theory of evolution, but charles darwin stole his idea and took the credit.
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