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Charles Darwin
Charles Robert Darwin (Feb 12,1809-Apr 19,1882)
When it comes to the topic of evolution, Charles Darwin will always be one of the top names to arise. He as a philosopher/scientist/evolutionist/naturalist, is considered to be the father of evolutionary theory. Evolution, which is defined as the process of growth and development or the theory that organisms have grown and developed from past organisms. -
Charles Darwin
Charles Darwin was accustomed to the science and technology world being the son and grandson of physicians. This paved the path for him to pursue a career in science. At the age of sixteen, Charles was sent to Edinburgh to attend medical school. After some time there he decided that this was not the path he was meant to follow. While he transferred to Cambridge University in 1828, he befriended professors in botany, geology, and philosophy aiding his in his interests in those subjects. -
HMS Beagle
When Charles graduated in 1831, he was presented with an opportunity to go on a five year voyage upon the HMS Beagle. During the voyage, the ship made many stops including South America, Australia, and South Africa. During these stops, Darwin would study and observe the plants and animals that were indigenous to the land. He kept a record of all of the different species he found. He used the different books he kept to compare and contrast the different plants and animals. -
Galapagos Islands
Many of Darwin's important studies took place off the coast of Ecuador in the Galapagos Islands. These islands were a perfect setting for Darwin and his studies. This is because its geographically separated location kept the flora and fauna of the islands isolated and allowed the evolutionary process to flourish without interference. -
Voyage of the Beagle (Darwin, 1839/2018)
"...these islands is eminently curious as well deserves attention.Most of the organic productions are aboriginal creations, found nowhere else; there is even a difference between inhabitants of the different islands; yet all show a marked relationship with those of America, though separated from that continent by an open space of ocean...Hence, both in space and time, we seem to be brought somewhat near to that great fact that mystery of mysteries- the first appearance of new beings" -
Voyage of the Beagle
It was through noticing the differences and similarities that existed between the fauna of the Galapagos and that of the Americas that Darwin created his theories of evolution and natural selection. The main causal agent of Darwin's breakthrough are the now famous finches. He studied how although the finches seems to be closely related, they each had different beaks, which made them perfectly suited for their given lifestyle. -
On the Origin of Species
The interrelatedness of the finches helped lead Darwin to his idea of natural selection in The Origin of Species: ...if variations useful to any organic being do occur, assuredly individuals thus characterized will have the best chance of being preserved in the struggle for lifelong from the strong principle of inheritance they will tend to produce offspring similarly characterized. (Darwin,1859/2013) -
References
Darwin,C (2018). The Voyage of the Beagle (J. Hamm, Ed.)
Project Gutenberg Ebook. (Original work published 1839)
Darwin,C (2013). On the Origin of Species (S.Asscher and D.
Widger, Ed.) Project Gutenberg Ebook.(Original work published
1859)
