Hi guys, today I would like to tell you my favorite inventor in the world. So, here's CHARLES ROBERT DARWIN, inventor of the theory of evolution.
Charles Robert Darwin (February 12, 1809 to April 19, 1882) was a
naturalist and biologist known for his theory of evolution and the
process of natural selection. Born in Shrewsbury, England, in 1831 he
embarked on a five-year survey voyage around the world on the HMS Beagle; his studies of specimens led him to formulate his theories. In 1859, he published On the Origin of Species.
Darwin’s theory of evolution declared that species survived through a
process called "natural selection," where those that successfully
adapted, or evolved, to meet the changing requirements of their natural
habitat thrived, while those that failed to evolve and reproduce died
off. Through his observations and studies of birds, plants and fossils,
Darwin noticed similarities among species all over the globe, along with
variations based on specific locations, leading him to believe that the
species we know today had gradually evolved from common ancestors.
Darwin’s theory of evolution and the process of natural selection later
became known simply as “Darwinism.”
At the time, other
naturalists believed that all species either came into being at the
start of the world or were created over the course of natural history.
In either case, they believed species remained much the same throughout
time.
In 1858, after years of scientific investigation, Darwin publically
introduced his revolutionary theory of evolution in a letter read at a
meeting of the Linnean Society. On November 24, 1859, he published a
detailed explanation of his theory in his best-known work, On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection.
In
the next century, DNA studies provided scientific evidence for Darwin’s
theory of evolution. However controversy surrounding its conflict with
Creationism — the religious view that all of nature was born of God —
still abounds today.
Education
In October 1825, at age 16, Darwin enrolled at
Edinburgh University along with his brother Erasmus. Two years later, he
became a student at Christ's College in Cambridge. His father hoped he
would follow in his footsteps and become a medical doctor, but the sight
of blood made Darwin queasy. His father suggested he study to become a
parson instead, but Darwin was far more inclined to study natural
history.
Voyage on the HMS Beagle
While Darwin was at
Christ's College, botany professor John Stevens Henslow became his
mentor. After Darwin graduated Christ's College with a bachelor of arts
degree in 1831, Henslow recommended him for a naturalist’s position
aboard the HMS Beagle. The ship, commanded by Captain Robert FitzRoy,
was to take a five-year survey trip around the world. The voyage would
prove the opportunity of a lifetime for the budding young naturalist.
On
December 27, 1831, the HMS Beagle launched its voyage around the world
with Darwin in tow. Over the course of the trip, Darwin collected a
variety of natural specimens, including birds, plants and fossils.
Through hands-on research and experimentation, he had the unique
opportunity to closely observe principles of botany, geology and
zoology. The Pacific Islands and Galapagos Archipelago were of
particular interest to Darwin, as was South America.
Upon his return to England in 1836, Darwin began to write up his findings in the Journal of Researches, published as part of Captain FitzRoy's larger narrative and later edited into the Zoology of the Voyage of the Beagle.
The trip had a monumental effect on Darwin’s view of natural history.
He began to develop a revolutionary theory about the origin of living
beings that was contrary to the popular view of other naturalists at the
time.
Death
Following a lifetime of devout research, Charles Darwin
died at his family home, Down House, in London, on April 19, 1882. He
was buried at Westminster Abbey.
More than a century later, Yale ornithologist Richard Brum sought to revive Darwin's lesser-known theory on sexual selection in The Evolution of Beauty.
While Darwin's original attempts to cite female aesthetic mating
choices as a driving force of evolution was criticized, Brum delivered
an effective argument via his expertise in birds, earning selection to The New York Times' list of 10 best books of 2017.
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