Essay, Research Paper: Charles Darwin

Charles Darwin
"The Catholic church has absolutely no view on 'Darwin's Theory of Evolution' or
'Darwinism' what is commonly believed by the magistarium is that one should not
necessarily take the Bible in a literal sense ..."
-An excerpt from Robert Richard's
The Meaning of Evolution.
Charles Darwin, a British naturalist has revolutionized biological and genetic studies with
his new idea of "Natural Selection." His theory on evolution, which held that a species had
emerged from preexisting or "basic" forms. His liberal ideas in Natural History had aroused
several disagreements among scientists and caused a division among them. In cognizance
to Darwin’s theory(ies) scientists today gives him the credit as being the first in all time to
explain some of the disagreements between geologists. Some of these where how some
rock layers were higher than others in some are but in other areas they were lower.
Early Years
Charles Darwin was born in Shrewsbury, England on February 12, 1809. He was the son
of Robert Warren Darwin, a family doctor and of Susannah Wedgewood Darwin daughter
of a porcelain manufacturer. His grandfather, infact, was the great English poet Erasmus
Darwin. His early school training was at a small school house in Shrewsbury. After which
his father put him into Edinburgh University in 1825 to 1827 for medical studies. Darwin
showed no interest in being a physician after witnessing several major operations without
anesthesia. He was then sent to be a pastor in the Church of England. He studied at Christ
College at Cambridge University in 1828.
He lost his interest in Holy order by the and became interested in something never before,
Natural History. In 1831 he graduated from Cambridge with a B.A. He met many
connections who were his allies in a "war" against the scientific community’s belief of how
evolution does occur.
Infact, one of his "connections" a professor and friend of his, Johns Stevens Henslow
endorsed Darwin for an unpaid position as naturalist on a scientific five-year voyage on the
H.M.S. Beagle. The ship took off on December 27, 1831, to explore and evaluate the
western coast of South America and several islets of the coast of South America. Its
Secondary mission was to set up Navigational posts along the coast line. Darwin was to
learn of the biological and geological (of which he was not educated for!) Developments of
the areas.
Research
Darwin, an uneducated (in geology, that is) supposed "geologist" made two critical
discoveries of which later brought a contribution to his evolution theory. These were that
volcanoes and earth quakes changed the rock layers and their order. This first discovery
led to his second that is a key piece in marine biology, that coral reefs were made by the
clumping together of skeletons of small animals and as more died and then clumped it
made a large mass-the coral reef. His two geological and biological discoveries led to his
primary conclusion that changes geologically and biological that things in nature will
change over long periods of time. He published three books concerning his conclusions
about these; Geological Observations on South America (1846), Coral Reefs (1842), and
his most famous geological piece Volcanic Islands (1844).
It was 1856, Darwin’s theories had been generally excepted among the scientific
community. Except one, Natural Selection, this theory he had not yet, unleashed yet for it
was far to complicated to be explained by tongue. He did tell his friends this, who in turn
set him to meet with another individual Alfred Russel Wallace whom also had the same
theory. Wallace had sent Darwin a letter outlining what he had thought about Natural
Selection. The two went together after two years of research to London’s Linean Society in
1858 to reveal what they thought. There was printed on November 24, 1859, it was under
the title "The Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of
Favored Races in the Struggle for Life."
On the eastern seaboard South America, Darwin researched many topics of which made a
strong importance to the scientific community. When the Beagle docked to the west coast
and islands of the shore called the Galapagos he studied and researched like never before.
This is also the scene for his most well known discovery - Darwin’s Finches.
He noticed that every one of the ecosystems of the islands were exactly the same, the
climate, geography, and the humidity; just alike. He noticed that there were a wide variety
of avians (birds) on the islands. These birds, he noted, were similar in many aspects
except their beaks. Some had long and slim beak -used for the small seeds, others had
short, large, powerful beaks used for crushing the bigger seeds, he noticed also some with
small, fine beaks -used for obtaining small insects. He later concluded, from fossil
evidence, that all of these birds had a common ancestor who the "Evolved" into the
different species we see today.
Conclusion
The impact of Charles Darwin will always be remembered. Under the influence of his
spouse, and after keeping his new ideas to himself for years after arriving back in England,
he finally recorded in a scientific journal what he found (explained above). His remarkable
discoveries opened a new frontier in the scientific realm. He will always be remembered
as a true pioneer in the theory of evolution.



Bibliography


Bibliography
Bowlby, John, Charles Darwin: A New Life; 1991.
Bowler, PJ., Charles Darwin: The Man and His Influence; 1990.
Keynes, R.D.,ed., Charles Darwin’s Beagle Diary; 1988.
Moorhead, Alan, Darwin and the Beagle; 1969.
Richards, Robert, The Meaning of Evolution; 1993.
Andy Zerzan
Biology, Mr Herron
1st Hour Extra Credit
10/95
Charles Darwin:
His Life Story
of Dicovery


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