Charles Darwin was a renowned English naturalist and geologist that has since been described as one of the most prominent figures in both scientific and human history. He was best known for his compelling theories and contribution to evolution and is now considered the founder of Biological/Physical anthropology. Darwin was born on February 12, 1809, in Shrewsbury, England. He was born into wealth and power as he was part of a long line of scientists and doctors, which included his father, Robert Darwin, being a medical doctor and his grandfather, Erasmus Darwin, being a well-known botanist (O 'Neil, 2006). From an early age, Charles Darwin enjoyed exploring nature and quickly became interested in nature history while attending Christ 's College
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After graduating in 1831, Henslow advised Darwin to participate in a naturalist’s position onboard the HMS Beagle. The Beagle was charted to navigate across the Atlantic Ocean, and provide a detailed survey of the southern portions of South America, returning via Australia after circling the Earth (O 'Neil, 2006). During his time onboard, Darwin collected numerous specimens and worked closely with botany, geology and zoology principles through hands-on experiments and research. His biggest breakthrough would later be his visit to Galápagos Islands. These islands were particularly interesting as there were many species found in no other parts of the world (O 'Neil, 2006) and would later become the inspirational ground for Darwin’s breakthrough in evolution.
On Galápagos Islands, Darwin noticed 13 different species of finches, which was odd since there was only one species of the bird on the mainland of South America where they were all supposed to have originated from (O 'Neil, 2006). The main alterations on the birds were their beaks and body sizes, which appeared to be based on their diet. This led Darwin to conclude that the finches dispersed into …show more content…
His main premise was that all life, including birds and plants, came from a common ancestor and are all related. He believed that everything came from non-living matter and slowly, through the pure process of nature, began to form complex creatures (n.p., 2002). In other words, complex individuals were all derived from simplistic ancestors. Darwin assumed that evolution happened through the process of natural selection, in which beneficial mutation are passed on to the future generations (n.p., 2002). Over time, the accumulation of mutations turn the organism into a completely different creature and not just another variation of the original species. Another key element in Darwin’s theory of evolution was the slow process it took for a new creature to form (n.p., 2002). Darwin (1871) conceded to his belief by stating, “If it could be demonstrated that any complex organ existed, which could not possibly have been formed by numerous, successive, slight modifications, my theory would absolutely break down. But I can find no such case.”
After graduating in 1831, Henslow advised Darwin to participate in a naturalist’s position onboard the HMS Beagle. The Beagle was charted to navigate across the Atlantic Ocean, and provide a detailed survey of the southern portions of South America, returning via Australia after circling the Earth (O 'Neil, 2006). During his time onboard, Darwin collected numerous specimens and worked closely with botany, geology and zoology principles through hands-on experiments and research. His biggest breakthrough would later be his visit to Galápagos Islands. These islands were particularly interesting as there were many species found in no other parts of the world (O 'Neil, 2006) and would later become the inspirational ground for Darwin’s breakthrough in evolution.
On Galápagos Islands, Darwin noticed 13 different species of finches, which was odd since there was only one species of the bird on the mainland of South America where they were all supposed to have originated from (O 'Neil, 2006). The main alterations on the birds were their beaks and body sizes, which appeared to be based on their diet. This led Darwin to conclude that the finches dispersed into …show more content…
His main premise was that all life, including birds and plants, came from a common ancestor and are all related. He believed that everything came from non-living matter and slowly, through the pure process of nature, began to form complex creatures (n.p., 2002). In other words, complex individuals were all derived from simplistic ancestors. Darwin assumed that evolution happened through the process of natural selection, in which beneficial mutation are passed on to the future generations (n.p., 2002). Over time, the accumulation of mutations turn the organism into a completely different creature and not just another variation of the original species. Another key element in Darwin’s theory of evolution was the slow process it took for a new creature to form (n.p., 2002). Darwin (1871) conceded to his belief by stating, “If it could be demonstrated that any complex organ existed, which could not possibly have been formed by numerous, successive, slight modifications, my theory would absolutely break down. But I can find no such case.”