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The Voyage of the Beagle
Darwin spent nearly 5 years travelling around the world on the Beagle. When in the Galapagos Islands, he noticed that each island had different variations of the same wildlife. "Darwin [wrote] about his experiences, collected samples of flora, fauna, and fossils, and [observed] rock formations"(https://www.famousscientists.org/charles-darwin/). During the voyage, Darwin collected specimen and sent them back home to study or use for profit. Little did Darwin know what any of this would lead to. -
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The Theory of Evolution by Natural Selection
This became a scientific theory when Darwin published his book "On The Origin of Species", but he had been working on the theory for over 20 years prior. Many philosophers had proposed the idea of evolution; however, Darwin proposed that evolution occurs because of natural selection. This theory really took off when Darwin noticed the difference in the beaks of finches, which he proposed must have been a natural variation in physical characteristics due to "survival of the fittest". -
Scientific Results from Darwin's Voyage
Darwin presented his findings to the Geological Society of London in 1837 to include specimens of the birds found in the Galapagos. John Gould had looked closely at the finches and their characteristics, he reported that Charles Darwin had discovered 12 new species of finch. He had created a notebook full of thoughts and theories and had fully accepted evolution as a theory. He decided to "assemble facts before providing a theory"
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The Origin of Species
This book was considered to be the most important book in the history of Biology. Although completed in 1859, Darwin had made several different editions to include his concept of "Survival of the Fittest" in 1869, and the word evolution which didn't appear until 1872. Darwin took a special interest in the similarities between embryos of different species, and it is very clearly noted in this work. -
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Darwin's Further Influence
1868 - The Variation of Animals and Plants under Domestication. Darwin incorrectly stated heredity resulted from Phangesis. 1871 - The Descent of Man. Evidence was presented that humans were actually descendants of apes. 1872 - The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals. Showing similarities between animals and plants. Darwin influenced Ronald Fisher to continue the theory of evolution by natural selection which finally became widely accepted by mainstream scientists. -
Conclusion
Charles Darwin has changed the philosophy of science, influencing both theories and other scientists in the way they think. This information was not always Darwin's but he refined the information and used it to further scientific knowledge. His most influential work was the Theory of Evolution, and the way he connected that with natural selection. Darwin was a revolutionary mind and his work set the framework for other scientists to continue with his ideas, just as he had done with others.