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The Beagle Voyage (December 1831-September 1836)
At the young age of 22, Charles Darwin decided to accompany Robert Fitzroy on a voyage to Tierra del Fugeo. Throughout the five years of sailing Charles was only on the ship a total of 18 months.With his extended time off the ship he was able to study the Brazilian jungles and the Andes Mountains and wrote a "770-page diary, wrapped up 1,750 pages of notes, drew up 12 catalogs of his 5,436 skins, bones, and carcasses". Then he began to wonder how did some species become extinct? -
The London Years (1836-1842)
Following his Beagle voyage Charles brought his findings, skulls and bones, to the Royal College of surgeons where they examined the species. The findings "suggested that South American mammals had been replaced by their own kind according to some unknown law of succession.” Charles examined the works of Fitzroy and found that each island had its own species of finch as well. From here he wondered the theory behind extinction and wether adaptations appeared suddenly or gradually. -
Downe (1842- 1853)
Charles moved to an isolated village in Downe, Kent 16 miles from central London. Here, he began to study barnacles and write books on coral reefs which secured his reputation as a geologist. Charles was fascinated by their sexual differentiation and discovered some females had males clinging to them which discounts what was said to be hermaphrodite creatures. This finding made him an expert and could no longer be dismissed as a spectator and earned him a Royal Society’s Royal Medal in 1853. -
Origin of Species (1859)
On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection was published in 1859 by Charles Darwin showing his collection on work throughout his years. Charles worked close with Thomas Huxley, who liked to be in the public eye where Charles did not, on his theory of evolution. The newspapers came to the conclusion that Darwin was avoiding the theory that humans evolved from apes and was "denying mankind’s immortality". -
Sources and Video
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Charles-Darwin/The-Beagle-voyage
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Charles-Darwin/Evolution-by-natural-selection-the-London-years-1836-42
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Charles-Darwin/On-the-Origin-of-Species
Charles Darwin Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BcpB_986wyk