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

Word Count: 892