By Peter Emma and Radinka

Charles Darwin was born in February 1809 in Mount Shrewsbury UK He was educated in Shrewsbury School then sent to Edinburg University to study medicine. Two years later in 1827, he was beginning a degree in divinity (study of religion) at Cambridge.

Charles Darwin had five siblings Erasmus Darwin Emily Darwin, Susan Darwin, Caroline Darwin Marianne Darwin Charles was the youngest in the family His parents were Susannah Wedgwood and Robert Darwin, his father was a wealthy physician.

Charles Darwin was most famous for coming up with the theory of evolution The theory of evolution states that all animals came from one sole group of creatures. Evolution works by natural selection.

Darwin came up with the theory of Natural selection Natural selection means that all animals evolved to suit their surroundings. For example early peacocks did not have colourful tail feathers but a genetic mutation allowed some peacocks to develop colourful feathers, female peacocks were more likely to be attracted to males with colourful feathers and so all the less attractive peacocks died out leaving only the ones with colourful tail feathers

Mammal as we know them today have been around since the Jurassic period. Roughly 145 million years these primitive mammals were shrew like creatures. Their ancestors were roaming the earth over 250 million years ago. They were mammal like reptiles.

Darwin believed that man evolved from apes. Through millions of years of evolution man learned to use tools and walk upright. The first apes to resemble man were Australopithecus theses apes were short and walked upright the most famous skeleton is “Lucy”

In 1831 Charles Darwin set off for a massive expedition. He set off from Plymouth UK. His mission was to study exotic animals in their natural habitat. He was famous for going to the Galapagos islands and documenting hundreds of new animal and plant species.

The HMS beagle expedition was meant to last 2 years but lasted 5.

Darwin’s idea that men evolve from apes did not go down well with the church of England. His theory also question his own Christianity. But most of the scientific community back him. The church tried to mock him.

Charles Darwin married his first cousin Emma Wedgwood. They had ten children but sadly three died when they were young. Charles Darwin died April 19 th 1882 of a heart attack at the age of 73. Emma Wedgwood then died October 7 th 1896.

By Peter, Emma and Radinka