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Charles Darwin (1809-1882)
The life of Charles Darwin.
Born in Shrewsbury, England.
Died in Downe, England.
"Charles Robert Darwin is one of the greatest naturalists who ever lived. He was not only the father of evolution but also a remarkable scientist whose ideas and discoveries about the earth's history resulted in new areas for ongoing research in geology, paleontology, biology, and anthropology. " -
Graduates from Christ's College, University of Cambridge
Charles Darwin graduated from Cambridge in 1831 with a Bachelor of Arts.
"Despite his studies in medicine at Edinburgh University and then in theology at Christ's College of the University of Cambridge, Darwin had no desire to become either a countryside minister or a medical doctor. He remained interested in geology and entomology." ("Charles Darwin", 2009) -
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HMS Beagle Voyage
Under command of Robert FitzRoy, the HMS Beagle sets sail on it's planned 2 year voyage. (The voyage ended up being almost 5 years) Charles Darwin serves as a naturalist on board the voyage. This is the voyage that Charles Darwin visits all over South America including Brazil, Argentina, Galapagos and many other places. -
Darwin reads Principles of Geology (1831-1833)
Charles Darwin reads "Principles of Geology" which greatly changes his perspective on the Earth and biology. From this work, Darwin's beliefs on earths history shifted. Before Lyell's books, Darwin believed in the literal biblical age that was widely accepted. Lyell proposed "Lyell claimed that this planet is millions of years old, and over vast periods of time, natural forces have slowly altered its geological structures."("Charles Darwin" , 2009) -
Argentina Fossil Expedition
While on the HMS Beagle, Darwin was able to help unearth fossils in Argentina. He noted that some of the now-extinct land mammals are very similar to those living. "Suggesting historical continuity in life from prehistoric organisms to extant species"(Charles Darwin, 2009)
Among the other trips they made throughout South America, this is a great discovery to Darwin because it really shows his theories in petrified bone. Being able to look firsthand at the fossils helped Darwin note similarities. -
HMS Beagle arrives at the Galapagos Islands
This short video by National Geographic shows the beautiful area of the Galapagos where Darwin used to frame his theory of Natural Selection. Highlighted in most textbooks as where the Discovery of Evolution happened.
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On the Origin of Species by means of Natural Selection by Charles Darwin
Considered his most known accomplishment and what many agree laid the foundation of Evolution is Charles Darwin's work named "On the Origin of Species by means of Natural Selection". In this book " Darwin's theory of ‘descent with modification’ challenged the assumption that species are fixed and eternal. Rather, in the long history of the physical world many forms have passed away and their offspring have diverged more and more widely from the parent-type...
