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Departs aboard the HMS Beagle
A 22 year old Charles Darwin joins a voyage aboard the HMS Beagle. [1] -
Returns to England from HMS Beagle voyage
During these 5 years his observations of flora and fauna provided the basis for his theory on evolution by means of natural selection. Most famously what are, to this day, referred to as "Darwin's Finches" which he collected and observed while stopped at the Galapagos Islands [1]. -
Publication of "On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life."
Darwin, Charles. On the origin of species by means of natural
selection or, The preservation of favoured races in the struggle for
life. J. Murray, 1859. -
Darwin's Theory
Darwin's theory of evolution states that species change over time due to naturally occurring variations compounding with some being more advantageous, for survival, based on environmental pressures. Environmental pressures could be predators, climate changes affecting food sources, geological changes, etc.. Some individuals within a species end up isolated from others and have genetic variances more suited to new area, eventually could diverge into a new species. [2] -
Impact on Biology
Darwin's theory changed the fundamental idea within biology that species were static [3]. Prior to his theory most of biology could be viewed as "stamp collecting" within which biologists collected and cataloged species and built categories based on similarities. His theory provided the underlying mechanism explaining those familial relationships and eventual splits into "cousins." [3] -
Youtube video from 2008 hosted by Richard Dawkins exploring Darwin's theory
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References
1 Encyclopedia Britannica entry on Charles Darwin and his Theory on Evolution by means of Natural Selection. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Charles-Darwin/On-the-Origin-of-Species 2 Project Gutenberg free text of Darwin's seminal work "On the origin of species...."
https://www.gutenberg.org/files/1228/1228-h/1228-h.htm 3 Dawkins, Richard. The Genius of Charles Darwin. IWC Media, 2008.