|
Charles
Darwin was born on February 12, 1809 in Shrewsbury, England.
He was the British naturalist who became famous for his
theories of evolution and natural selection. Like several
scientists before him, Darwin believed all the life on earth
evolved (developed gradually) over millions of years from
a few common ancestors.
From
1831 to 1836 Darwin served as naturalist aboard the H.M.S.
Beagle on a British science expedition around the world.
In South America Darwin found fossils of extinct animals
that were similar to modern species. On the Galapagos Islands
in the Pacific Ocean he noticed many variations among plants
and animals of the same general type as those in South America.
The expedition visited places around the world, and Darwin
studied plants and animals everywhere he went, collecting
specimens for further study.
Upon
his return to London Darwin conducted thorough research
of his notes and specimens. Out of this study grew several
related theories: one, evolution did occur; two, evolutionary
change was gradual, requiring thousands to millions of years;
three, the primary mechanism for evolution was a process
called natural selection; and four, the millions of species
alive today arose from a single original life form through
a branching process called "specialization."
Darwin's
theory of evolutionary selection holds that variation within
species occurs randomly and that the survival or extinction
of each organism is determined by that organism's ability
to adapt to its environment. He set these theories forth
in his book called, "On the Origin of Species by Means
of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favoured Races
in the Struggle for Life" (1859) or "The Origin
of Species" for short. After publication of Origin
of Species, Darwin continued to write on botany, geology,
and zoology until his death in 1882. He is buried in Westminster
Abbey.
Darwin's
work had a tremendous impact on religious thought. Many
people strongly opposed the idea of evolution because it
conflicted with their religious convictions. Darwin avoided
talking about the theological and sociological aspects of
his work, but other writers used his theories to support
their own theories about society. Darwin was a reserved,
thorough, hard working scholar who concerned himself with
the feelings and emotions not only of his family, but friends
and peers as well.
It
has been supposed that Darwin renounced evolution and converted
to Christianity on his deathbed. Shortly after his death,
a Lady Hope claimed she visited Darwin at his deathbed,
and witnessed the renunciation. Her story was printed in
a Boston newspaper and subsequently spread. Lady Hope's
story was refuted by Darwin's daughter Henrietta who stated,
"I was present at his deathbed ... He never recanted
any of his scientific views, either then or earlier."
|
