Charles Darwin (1809-1882) - Known around the world is the name of Charles Darwin and his history changing book On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection or the Preservation of Favored Races in the Struggle for Life published in 1859. As a young man Charles Darwin was always interested in nature and since his father saw no future in being a naturalist, he was sent to University of Edinburgh to study medicine. At 16 he left Edinburgh without a degree and enrolled in Christ College at Cambridge University to become a clergyman, since most naturalists of the day were clergyman. He received his B.A. degree in 1831 in theology and was recommended by the Reverend John Henslow, professor of botany, to Captain Robert Fitzroy of the HMS Beagle for a surveying voyage around the world.
Darwin was 22 years old when they sailed from England in December 1831 with the primary mission of charting sections of the South American coastline. While the crew charted the coastline, Darwin observed the distinctive nature of South America and was puzzled by the geographic distribution of species. At the Galapagos Islands Darwin came across several types of finches that although were very similar had apparent adaptations to their particular environments. By the time they had sailed from the Galapagos Darwin had read Lyell's Principles of Geology, and began to doubt the Church's position that the earth was only a few thousand years old. Later Darwin would theorize that these new forms were the result of the accumulation of adaptations to a different environment [Cambell 1987, 428-429].
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http://darwin-online.org.uk/darwin.htm
http://www.uh.edu/engines/epi1260.htm
http://www.sacred-texts.com/aor/darwin/beagle/index.htm
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