Charles Darwin 1809-1882

Charles DarwinSon of a physicianStudied medicine – not his thing!Became a ministerReal interest in nature and collecting

specimen.Earned a position on the HMS Beagle as

a Gentleman Naturalist to travel around South America and chart the coastline

Darwin on the Voyage of the HMS BeagleAt 22 years old, Darwin set out on what was

expected to be two years and ended up being five.

Darwin on the Voyage of the HMS BeagleHe collected large numbers of specimen and

began to recognize patterns in what features the organisms presented based on the environments they lived in.

Darwin on the Voyage of the HMS BeagleOn the voyage, Darwin was reading about

Lyell who was a renowned geologist.Lyell said that Earth was billions of years

old, has changed dramatically since its creation and is still changing.

Darwin embraced Lyell’s Earth theories and was influenced enough to start thinking that living things perhaps changed slowly too.

Development of ideasWhen looking through his finch specimen, he

noticed that the 14 different species of finches each had “unique beaks tailored to it’s specific diets.” Warbler Finch has a sharp,

pointy beak to eat insects in trees

Large ground finch has a large, stout beak that allows it to eat seeds and nuts which are too big for other species.

Development of ideasHe also could identify the island

origin of giant tortoises based on the patterns on their shells.

He concluded that organisms with favorable variations would be better able to survive and reproduce than organisms with unfavorable variations.

The Origin of SpeciesThrough collaboration with other

researchers including Charles Lyell, Richard Owen, and Alfred Wallace, he eventually conclude that favorable adaptations lead of the formation of new species.

He felt that this explained the process of EVOLUTION.

The Origin of SpeciesIn 1859 Darwin published the Origin of

Species with the following main points.1. Over production Most species have more offspring than

are needed. If all lived, any one species would cover the earth, yet populations are more or less constant.

The Origin of Species2. Struggle for existence Space and food are limited. Offspring must compete

among themselves and with other species.

Only a small fraction survive long enough to reproduce.

The Origin of Species3. Variation Individuals are not alikeDifferences are variations

and some are important

The Origin of Species4. Survival of the fittest Because of variations, some

individuals will be better equipped to survive and reproduce.

Those who are better adapted have a greater chance

The Origin of Species5. Natural Selection Desirable traits are usually passed

on.

The Origin of Species6. Evolution of new Species Over generations, favourable

characteristics accumulate and unfavourable ones disappear.

This lead to the development of a new species.

The Origin of SpeciesWeaknesses to Darwin’s work1. Does not explain the origin and

transmission of variations2. Does not differentiate between

heredity and environment.