Darwin was born into the family of a prominent physician on February 12, 1809, in Shrewsbury, England.  His mother was the daughter of Josiah Wedgwood, founder of the famous pottery firm.  In 1825 Charles entered the University of Edinburgh to become a physician.  Two years later he entered Cambridge University to study for the clergy.    

Darwin was a shy, meticulous, wealthy landowner who had an extraordinary commitment to intellectual honesty.

He is probably best known for his theory of Natural Selection and his published works, The Origin of Species.

In 1831 Darwin joined the HMS Beagle as the naturalist for a circumnavigation of the world; the voyage lasted five years. 

Darwin kept a detailed diary of his trip and collected a great many plant and animal specimens. Through observations of such animals as tortoises and finches on the Galapagos Islands, Darwin saw first-hand the effects of variation and adaptation.

Read a segment of Darwin’s Diary

Darwin spent 22 years gathering evidence and pondering arguments. It was not until 1859 that Darwin finally published his Origin of Species.

Ideas that shaped Darwin’s Theory of Natural Selection

In the 18th century, it was commonly accepted that the Earth was only several thousand years old.

1. In 1785, the geologist James Hutton proposed that the Earth is shaped by geological forces that took place over extremely long periods of time. He estimates the Earth to be millions of years old.

Another geologist helped shape Darwin’s ideas.

2. In 1833, Charles Lyell explained in his book Principles of Geology that processes occurring presently like volcanoes and erosion have shaped Earth’s geological features over a long period of time.

This understanding of geology influenced Darwin in two ways:

1. Darwin asked, “ If the Earth could change over time, might life change as well?”

2. Darwin realized for life to change over time, the Earth had to be millions of years old.

3. In 1809, Jean-Baptiste Lamarck published his theory that organisms change within one generation. This was a faulty assumption, but it provided a means of explaining how organisms change over time.

Darwin realized from Lamark’s work that animals are adapted to their environments.

4. Another influence on Darwin was the economist Thomas Malthus. In 1798 Malthus published his essay on the Principle of Population stating that human birthrate is higher that its death rate, but famine, disease and war prevent a huge population increase.

Darwin read Malthus’s work and realized that this reasoning applied even more strongly to plants and animals than it did to humans. Why? Because humans produce far fewer offspring than most other species.

What Darwin Never Knew

Homework:

Look at the Video on “What Darwin Never Knew” on the link provided below which is also available on my Website and complete the worksheet.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYBRbCLI4zU