Charles Darwin

By: Alejandro Angelici

EARLY LIFE• Charles Darwin was born on February 12, 1809. (Shrewsbury, England)• He was the fifth of six children.• He came from a wealthy family of doctors and financiers. • His mother died at the age of 8 of a gastrointestinal disease.• Darwin was never a good student at school.• At the age of 14, became an apprentice doctor, helping his dad to treat poor people.• Erasmus Darwin believed on an idea which Charles tries to prove, which was “Lamarckism”• At the age of 16, Charles goes to college to become a doctor.• But he studies Natural Sciences.• University of Cambridge.

VOYAGE TO S. AMERICA (BEAGLE)• Departed from Plymouth, England• The voyage began on 27 December 1831.• Charles became part of a study of geology with a scientist called Adam Sedgwick.• Charles was encouraged to go to a trip to the tropics to trace maps of S.A.• First stop at Chile, he found out that Charles Lyell’s theory was right.• Through his journey, he collected many fossils.• At the Galapagos Islands, he found something very unusual for him.• He observed that as he went island to island, the species changed in characteristics even though they were the same specie.• Darwin used to have diary where he wrote down every new discovery.

BACK IN ENGLAND• Arrived at Falmouth, England• On 2, October 1836.• Charles became a celebrity in the scientific field due to his new discoveries.• Charles brought new specimens which he collected from his journey. • Specimens were given to Cambridge to classify them.• Geological Society of London.• He wrote his diary• He presented his work on the 4th of January 1837• Many new species brought such as mammals and new types of birds.• He said animals mostly evolve because of Natural Selection.• Darwin was mainly influenced by Malthus’ idea of population growth.

DARWIN’S THEORY OF EVOLUTION•There five key points in which a specie evolves :

• Variation: There is Variation in Every Population.

• Competition: Organisms Compete for limited resources.

• Offspring: Organisms produce more Offspring than can survive.

• Genetics: Organisms pass Genetic traits on to their offspring.

• Natural Selection: Those organisms with the most beneficial traits are

more likely to Survive and Reproduce.

LAST YEARS• In 1859 Darwin published “On the Origin of

Species by Means of Natural Selection.”

• Charles received the Copley Medal.

• This book was really controversial.

• Described the homo sapiens as descents from

animals.

• Destroyed the prevailing orthodoxy on how the

world was created.

• The church was really against him.

• Writes an autobiography.

• He suffered from many heart attack, which at the

end killed him.

• Darwin died on 19 April 1882

FUN FACTS: Darwin married his cousin. Emma)

Charles Darwin was Backgammon fan.

After 126 years that Darwin died, the church apologized to him.

For Darwin’s 25th birthday, the captain of the Beagle, named a mountain in Tierra del Fuego in his honor.

Darwin almost didn’t get picked to go on the voyage, because the captain didn’t like his nose.

Darwin wanted to be a doctor, but he could stand the sight of blood.

RESOURCEShttp://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/darwin_charles.shtml

http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/history/evolution.html

http://brembs.net/gould.html

http://www.aboutdarwin.com/

http://www.neatorama.com/2008/12/04/10-fun-facts-about-charles-darwin/

http://www.cnrs.fr/cw/dossiers/dosdarwinE/darwin.html

http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/interactive/2009/feb/12/charles-darwin