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Birth
Charles Robert Darwin was born in Shrewsbury, England on February 2nd, 1809 and was expected to become a doctor or clergymen like his family before him. Cultivated by his father, Darwin attempted studies in pursuit of either professions, but largely found school to be boring, and was instead more interested in scientific processes such as botany, biology, and geology. -
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Charles Darwin and Evolution
Video demonstration of Charles Darwin's scientific discovery: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0B6os-6uuc -
Voyage upon the HMS Beagle
During his time at Christ's College, Darwin was taken under the wing of a botany professor who would recommend that Darwin as a naturalist on a voyage to collect scientific data on a ship known as the HMS Beagle. This voyage, spanning across five years, would allow Darwin to sail around South America to collect and record various plants, animals, and geological discoveries from the continent. -
Fossil Discovery
Through his scientific voyage to South America, Darwin collected numerous samples and scribed observations for the life that was displayed on the continent. His largest discovery, though, would come in the form of mammalian fossils, specifically the remains of Megatherium that was found off the coast of Buenos Aires. These fossils peaked Darwin’s interest as they resembled a monstrous sloth, which led him to believe that this animal and modern-day sloths shared a common ancestor. -
Finches in the Galapagos
Continuing his voyage on the HMS Beagle, Darwin traveled to the Galapagos where he continued to observe and study the various lifeforms present on the islands. It was at this destination that he would discover that finches from these islands were biologically the same type of bird but had different physical traits. He concluded through his research that the traits for each finch species was entirely dependent on their location due to varying ecological needs of each bird population. -
"On the Origin of Species"
Darwin’s discovery of both the fossil and the Galapagos finches led him to believe in the theory of evolution. This theory suggests that all plants and animals originated from some common source and, through specific breeding, would stray far enough from the original ancestor to be considered its own distinct species, much like branches on a tree. Darwin's discovery prompting him to document his scientific research through several publicized novels titled “On the Origin of Species”. -
Evolution versus Creation
For a majority of Darwin’s life, religion has played a large role in his ability to research and process scientific information. Started from childhood and lasting into his adult years, the belief that God made all creatures directly contradicted Darwin’s theory of evolution and played a large part in the delay of his publication for his books. Despite the initial traction that came with his research, acceptance for his theory did not begin until almost 50 years after his publications. -
References
“A Brief History of Evolution.” OpenLearn, The Open University, 30 Aug. 2019, www.open.edu/openlearn/history-the-arts/history/history-science-technology-and-medicine/history-science/brief-history-evolution. “Charles Darwin.” Biography.com, A&E Networks Television, 28 Aug. 2019, www.biography.com/scientist/charles-darwin. “Charles Darwin's Childhood And Life.” American Museum of Natural History, www.amnh.org/exhibitions/darwin/young-naturalist. -
References
“Darwin's Lost Fossils – Including a Sloth the Size of a Car – to Be Made Public.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 6 Apr. 2018, www.theguardian.com/science/2018/apr/06/charles-darwin-lost-fossils-including-a-sloth-the-size-of-a-car-to-be-made-public. National Geographic Society. “HMS Beagle: Darwin's Trip around the World.” National Geographic Society, 7 June 2019, www.nationalgeographic.org/maps/hms-beagle-darwins-trip-around-world/. -
References
“Origin of the Species: Where Did Darwin's Finches Come from?” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 30 July 2018, www.theguardian.com/science/2018/jul/30/origin-of-the-species-where-did-darwins-finches-come-from. “The Giant Fossil Mammals That Inspired Charles Darwin's Theory of Evolution.” Natural History Museum, www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/news/2018/april/giant-fossil-mammals-inspired-charles-darwin-theory-evolution.html.
