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Charles Darwin
A scientist who contributed greatly to the scientific community with his research and philosophy of evolution -
Natural Selection Explained
A good example of natural selection is the beetle. Some are green, and some are brown. Because green beetles are not as camouflaged by the environment, they are more often eaten and killed by predators. Therefore the brown beetles are more likely to reproduce with other brown beetles, and over time the occurrence of a green beetle drops until the trait no longer exists- the species naturally got rid of a hazard to protect it's future (Berkeley.Edu, 2015). -
"On the Origin of the Species"
Charles Darwin writes “On the Origin of the Species”, where he first pens the theory of evolution- describing it as a “process by which organisms change over time” (Than, 2018), saying that they adapt and modify traits as a result of genetics, and those species who don’t adapt as well don’t survive as long as those who do. His theory has 2 standout points: 1. All life is connected to each other, and 2. Certain traits are favored in certain environments, otherwise known as natural selection. -
On the Origin of Whales
Charles Darwin writes a passage about the evolution of whales- that many people mistook as him saying that bears were evolved directly from whales. This mockery caused him to modify his passage, though he was certain there was a connection between whales and “terrestrial carnivorous mammal(s)” (Switek, 2010). This sparked a huge controversy that continued until 2009, when it was finally proven that Darwin was correct and whales have evolutionary root with mammals. -
Lasting Influence
Charles Darwin is often heralded as the biologist that influenced the average person's viewpoint on science the most (Mayr, 2009). His school of thought is considered by the scientific community to be almost law- he went against the popular opinion, religious theories, and provided work that is still a hot topic today, debated and believed widely to this day. -
