By: Jack Stolar Honors Chemisrty 8° 3 rd of March, 2015

Catalog Entry  What is Charles Darwin known for?  Where was Charles Darwin born?  What is natural selection?  What is the Theory of Evolution?

Life  Charles Darwin was born on the 12 th of February, 1809 in Shrewsbury, England. He died on April 19 th,  Darwin is most well known for his studies as a naturalist and proposal of the Theory of Evolution. Darwin traveled by boat around the world to study nature on the HMS Beagle.  His father, Dr. Erasmus Darwin, was a botanist and his mother died when he was only eight years old.  Charles had five siblings and was the second youngest.  Charles went off to Edinburgh University with his brother at the age of sixteen. He went to study to become a doctor but later changed to study nature.

Travels  Darwin embarked on his five-year voyage in The voyage was to study the various species that could be found in different parts of the world.  Darwin began studying birds, plants, and fossils from each location the HMS Beagle stopped at. He studied similarities in appearance and function of characteristics of the organisms he observed.  Charles Darwin stopped in the Galapagos Islands in the Pacific Ocean off the western coast of South America where he did expansive research in the fields of botany, geology, and zoology.

Studies  Darwin wrote an article and it was published along with another article written by the captain of the HMS Beagle.  Darwin stayed up-to-date on his findings and kept them written in his personal journal.  Charles Darwin’s trip around the world drastically changed his view of natural history of the world.

Substantial Contributions  With Darwin’s opportunity to closely study all sorts of various specimen on the Galapagos Islands and all over the South American coast, he began to compare and contrast.  Darwin paid attention to similarities that could be observed and studied in the animals from different areas of the world, which led to the fabrication of his Theory of Evolution.  These differences led Darwin to believe that these creatures evolved from a common ancestor which then ultimately led to the formation of a complex theory.  He published his report that went into specific detail in The report was called The Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection.

Darwin’s Works Today  DNA testing has since proven that the theory is possible and that similarities between the species have been found in the genetic code.  Charles Darwin is known for the saying, “survival of the fittest.” This saying depicts the meaning of natural selection where the organisms born with the most advantageous traits are more likely to make it to adulthood to reproduce and pass on the trait.

Reference  #death-and-legacy #death-and-legacy 