Charles Robert Darwin Born in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England on the 12th Febuary, 1809 and died 19 April, 1882 An English naturalist who realised and demonstrated that all species of life evolved over time from common ancestors through a process he called natural selection. This forms the basis of the theory of evolution. Sources of information

The Origin of Species His first book was published in 24 November, Its full title was On the Origin of Species by means of natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life. It introduced the theory that populations evolve over the generations through a process of natural selection. His book gave evidence that the diversity of life arose through a branching pattern of evolution and common descent evidence which he accumulated on The Voyage of the Beagle in 1830 and which expanded through research, correspondence and experiments after his return. The book was controversial because it contradicted creation stories that underlay the theories at the time and generated much discussion on scientific, philosophical and religious grounds.

The Voyage of the Beagle The second survey mission voyage of the H.M.S. Beagle ( ) was commanded by Captain Fitz Roy with Charles Darwin as naturalist and lasted almost 5 years. FitzRoy was 26 years old and Darwin was 22. At least one of the crew members was only 14 years of age. Darwin was the Chief Naturalist on board and kept notes of his observations and collected specimens to take back to England. He made observations not only about the flora and fauna but also on geology. There first stop was St Jago in Brazil’s forest and he was delighted with the forest He detested the slavery he saw. The voyage travelled to South America, the Galapagos Islands, Australia and Africa. Source:

Galapagos Islands "I am very anxious to see the Galapagos Islands, -- I think both the Geology & Zoology cannot fail to be very interesting." -- Charles Darwin, Letter to his sister, Catherine in August Darwin asked himself many questions and one of the main questions he asked himself was how did so many different species of plants and animals arrive in the first place. Darwin collected many different types of flora and fauna to take bake to England. Red footed booby Blue footed booby Galapagos Tortoise

Australia "As far as I can judge of myself I worked to the utmost during the voyage from the mere pleasure of investigation, and from my strong desire to add a few facts to the great mass of facts in natural science." -- Charles Darwin

It wasn’t until 30 years after the voyage on the beagle that Darwin published his first book The Origin of Species. Darwin began studying the specimens he collected on his voyage after his return. It was from these that his theory of natural selection was constructed. Natural selection is the process where heritable traits become more common in successive generations of a reproducing population (species) and unfavourable traits become less common. What does natural selection mean for hompsapiens Natural Selection afari2007.html

Variation and Adaptation This is best understood by looking at finches Darwin collected. Different beak types in the finches shows variation. Different beak types are required for different feeding habits. Variation are the changes within the population. Adaptation is the characteristic of the organism that has evolved due to natural selection. An origin of species on/darwin/origin/index.html on/darwin/origin/index.html

EVOLUTION is the slow and gradual process of change over a long period of time that has given rise to the diverse organisms around us today. NATURAL SELECTION is the way or process that allows this evolution or change to take place. It occurs because: – Variation exists within any population of organisms. – All organisms face a daily struggle to survive and reproduce, whether it is to find mates, to seek shelter, to find food or to avoid predators. – Those organisms with features that best suit their environment have the best chance of survival and reproduction. – Those organisms that are able to survive and reproduce pass on their characteristics to their offspring. – Over time, the population will become better suited to its environment. Each individual has a unique genetic combination. If the surrounding environment changes, some individuals may have features better suited to the new conditions than others. They possess an ADAPTATION (ie a structure, bodily process or behaviour) that makes them better suited to their environment, therefore they are more likely to survive and reproduce In summary…

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