Charles Darwin (February 12,1809 in Shrewsbury, England - April 19,1882 in Down House, London/Westminster Abbey)
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HMS Beagle Voyage
The HMS Beagle launched its voyage for five years around the world with Darwin aboard as their naturalist. Over the course of the trip, Darwin collected a variety of natural specimens, including birds, plants and fossils. -
Galapagos Island
HMS Beagle made a stop at Galapagos Island. There, he studied finches, tortoises, and mockingbirds and noted his observations on how animals and plants survived. For example, the finches' diversity of bill sizes and shapes, each species has adapted to a specific type of food. (Meijer, Hanneke. “Origin of the Species: Where Did Darwin’s Finches Come From?” The Guardian, 30 July 2018) -
Darwin’s Findings
When he returned to England, Darwin wrote his findings in the Journal of Researches, and later edited into the Zoology of the Voyage of the Beagle. He developed the theory of evolution, stating that species survived through "natural selection," where those that successfully adapted or evolved to meet the changing requirements of their natural habitat thrived and reproduced, while those species that failed to do so died off. (“Charles Darwin.” Biography, 29 Aug. 2019) -
Linnean Society Meeting
After years of research and documentation, Darwin publicly introduced his revolutionary theory of evolution in a letter read at a meeting of the Linnean Society. Alfred Wallace, an admirer of Darwin's work and one who also traveled and did research, helped come up with the theory of evolution by natural selection. -
On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection
Darwin published a detailed explanation of his theory in his best-known work, "On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection". Natural selection is “the process through which populations of living organisms adapt and change”.
[Link to Darwin and Natural Selection: Crash Course History of Science #22] https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=dfsUz2O2jww
