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Evolution and Natural selection (HMS Beagle 1831-1836)
Hired as the ship's naturalist Darwin spent the majority of his trip sailing around South America gathering rocks and plants while noting each and every observation of plants, animals and geology. Through his surveying of different species, it helped him develop his theory of evolution and natural selection.
Charles Darwin. " The Voyage Of The Beagle", edited by Millicent E. Selsam, Harper and Row, 1959 -
Galapagos Islands San Cristobal & Floreana
San Cristobal was the first island Darwin studied and observed. Here, he carefully studied how the lava flows then went on to theorize about its formation. On the island Floreana, Darwin had the opportunity to gather species and collect the second bird that would lead to his important conclusions later on. This bird was the Floreana Mockingbird. -
Galapagos Islands Isabela & Santiago
Isabela Darwin described this island as the most uninhabited and volcanically active of all. Santiago the island where he spent the most time. He realized that tortoises from all islands were different and had evolved to different sizes and shapes depending on their surroundings and feeding characteristics. -
Beagle Journal
The Beagle journal is published under the title Journals and Remarks, volume three of Darwin's Narrative of the voyage.
Darwin, Charles R. The Beagle Journal. Journal and Remarks, 1 May 1839. -
Geological Observations on South America
Darwin finishes his last book describing the Beagle voyages: Geological Observations on South America. Darwin, Charles R. Geological Observations Of South America. Charles Darwin, 1846. -
Theory of evolution and natural selection
Darwin defined evolution as a process of “descent with modification.” He believed that some organisms within a species have trait variants that make them fitter and more likely to reproduce. Darwin figured out that that certain traits and characteristics are better suited to the environment, which enables organisms with the adapted variant to better survive and multiply. Survival of the fittest another is Darwinian evolutionary theory.