-
Darwin Attends Cambridge - Begins career as a Naturalist
1828-1831: In 1828, Darwin attends Cambridge University. It was at Cambridge, where Darwin found his desire to become a naturalist, or practitioner of science. Darwin wrote in his diary in reference to his experience at school that Cambridge, ‘stirred up in me a burning zeal to add even the most humble contribution to the noble structure of Natural Science” (Francis,22). Francis, Keith. Charles Darwin and the Origin of Species. Greenwood Press, 2007. -
The H.M.S. Beagle
Darwin sets voyage on the HMS Beagle serving as a naturalist to the crew. While underway Darwin read Charles Lyell –Geological Theories, which led him to think about gradual changes in the environment over long periods of time (Francis, 25).This inspired him to collect fossils and determine similarities from different regions. Francis, Keith. Charles Darwin and the Origin of Species. Greenwood Press, 2007. -
Discovery at the Galapagos Islands
Charles Darwin and the H.M.S Beagle arrive to the Galapagos Islands where the early stages his theory takes begins. Darwin notices that the finches on each island vary and determines that its due to the environments each finch is in. Coins the term "Natural Selection". This theory goes against the current paradigm of his time, called natural theology. This video gives good example of this: Evolution by Natural Selection -
John Malthus - Darwins "Aha" moment
In October of 1936, shortly after returning home, Darwin reads an essay by Thomas Malthus on the Principle of Population (Francis,31),a study of the problem of population in relation to resources. It was after this reading that Darwin was able develop his theory on the origin of species. Francis, Keith. Charles Darwin and the Origin of Species. Greenwood Press, 2007. -
Theory of Evolution
The Origin of Species concludes the theory of natural selection or "Darwinism". Natural selection is the theory that environmental factors and competition of other species shapes can shape new traits in species along with removing those that fail to permit, hence the saying "survival of the fittest"(Francis, 49). Darwins theory united many branches of science and started a chain of new questions for future research.