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HMS Beagle Voyage
In 1831, Charles Darwin boarded on a voyage abroad the HMS Beagle, a British Royal Navy ship. He boarded as a naturalist with the purpose of surveying the coastline of South America and chart the harbors. The purpose was for better map making but Charles Darwin spent most of his time on the land collecting animal, plant, fossil and rock samples. He explored Brazil, Argentina, Chile, and other regions in the Galapagos islands. -
Discoveries
Based on the specimens that he brought back with him from his HMS Beagle voyage, led to groundbreaking discoveries. The fossils he found he compared them with paleontologists and geologist, this led to a better understanding of the shape of earths surface. The analysis of the plants and animals he brought back led him to question how species have formed and changed over time. This is the work that led him to his theory of Natural Selection. -
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Natural Selection
His theory on Natural Selection says that individuals of a species are more likely to survive in their environment based on the traits that their parents passed on to them that are best suited for their environment. These traits are to become more widespread in the species and eventually lead to a new development of the species or even create a new species. -
On the Origin of Species
He published his thoughts and finding about evolution and natural selection in his book "On the Origin of Species". The book at first gained popularity quickly but it was also very controversial. It showed people how species change over time but it also suggested that the planet was much older than what was commonly believed.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnktXHBvE8s