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Birth of Charles Darwin
In the winter of 1809, Charles Darwin was born. -
Aborded the HMS Beagle
At the age of 22, Charles Darwin boarded the ship that would take him on a critical voyage. For 5 years, Darwin was able to observe the diverse natural world. He took numerous notes and began forming the basis for his theory of natural selection. The route that Darwin explored Link text -
Darwin reached the Galapagos Islands and found finches
From one distant ancestor, the process of natural selection formed over a dozen species of finches, each varying slightly to be suited to its environment. Darwin spent a few weeks collecting the small birds that were scattered amongst the islands. Once studied, Darwin formulated his ideas about natural selection. The finches provided evidence for how environmental pressure can influence a species adaptations.
Natural selection:Link text -
On the Tendency of Species to form Varieties; and on the Perpetuation of Varieties and Species by Natural Means of Selection
Darwin hesitated to publish his findings because the theory would be seen as a threat against the religious idea of creationism. A fellow naturalist, Alfred Russel Wallace, gave his the push he needed to introduce their work. Together, they introduced "On the Tendency of Species to form Varieties; and on the Perpetuation of Varieties and Species by Natural Means of Selection" to the Linnean Society of London. -
On the Tendency of Species to form Varieties; and on the Perpetuation of Varieties and Species by Natural Means of Selection
Darwin, Charles, and Alfred Wallace. "On the tendency of species to form varieties; and on the perpetuation of varieties and species by natural means of selection." Journal of the proceedings of the Linnean Society of London. Zoology 3.9 (1858): 45-62. -
Publication of On the Orgin of Species "A considerable revolution in natural history"
Darwin understood the weight of his findings and the inevitable controversy that would stem from the idea "that probably all the organic beings which have ever lived on this earth have descended from some one primordial form, into which life was first breathed."
Darwin, Charles. On the Origin of Species . First Avenue Editions, a Division of Lerner Publishing Group, 2018. -
Publication of the Decent of Man
The ideas presented in this book served to expand upon his previous work. The decent illustrated how man could have transformed to what we are today. “The great variability of all the external differences between the races of man, likewise indicates that they cannot be of much importance; for if important, they would long ago have been either fixed and preserved, or eliminated.” Darwin, Charles. The Descent of Man: And Selection in Relation to Sex. London: J. Murray, 1871. Print. -
Death of an influential naturalist who dedicated his life to understanding the natural world and our place in it.
After many years of writing and publishing, Darwin passed away at the age of 73. His theories changed societies perception of the world. His pursuit of knowledge and revelations of natural selection remains one of the most significant contributions to biology. During his life he was criticized for his contributions, but today we recognize him for his brilliant efforts.
