Charles Darwin: His Life Story Of Dicovery Essay, Research Paper

Charles Darwin: His Life Story of Dicovery

Andy Zerzan

Biology

Mr Herron

1st Hour

Extra Credit

10/95

“The Catholic church has absolutely no view on ‘Darwin’s Theory of Evolution’

or ‘Darwinism’ what is commonly believed by the magistarium is that one should

not necessarily take the Bible in a literal sense …”

-An excerpt from Robert Richard’s

The Meaning of Evolution.

Charles Darwin, a British naturalist has revolutionized biological and

genetic studies with his new idea of “Natural Selection.” His theory on

evolution, which held that a species had emerged from preexisting or “basic”

forms. His liberal ideas in Natural History had aroused several disagreements

among scientists and caused a division among them. In cognizance to Darwin?s

theory(ies) scientists today gives him the credit as being the first in all time

to explain some of the disagreements between geologists. Some of these where how

some rock layers were higher than others in some are but in other areas they

were lower.

Early Years

Charles Darwin was born in Shrewsbury, England on February 12, 1809. He

was the son of Robert Warren Darwin, a family doctor and of Susannah Wedgewood

Darwin daughter of a porcelain manufacturer. His grandfather, infact, was the

great English poet Erasmus Darwin. His early school training was at a small

school house in Shrewsbury. After which his father put him into Edinburgh

University in 1825 to 1827 for medical studies. Darwin showed no interest in

being a physician after witnessing several major operations without anesthesia.

He was then sent to be a pastor in the Church of England. He studied at Christ

College at Cambridge University in 1828.

He lost his interest in Holy order by the and became interested in

something never before, Natural History. In 1831 he graduated from Cambridge

with a B.A. He met many connections who were his allies in a “war” against the

scientific community?s belief of how evolution does occur.

Infact, one of his “connections” a professor and friend of his, Johns

Stevens Henslow endorsed Darwin for an unpaid position as naturalist on a

scientific five-year voyage on the H.M.S. Beagle. The ship took off on December

27, 1831, to explore and evaluate the western coast of South America and several

islets of the coast of South America. Its Secondary mission was to set up

Navigational posts along the coast line. Darwin was to learn of the biological

and geological (of which he was not educated for!) Developments of the areas.

Research

Darwin, an uneducated (in geology, that is) supposed “geologist” made

two critical discoveries of which later brought a contribution to his evolution

theory. These were that volcanoes and earth quakes changed the rock layers and

their order. This first discovery led to his second that is a key piece in

marine biology, that coral reefs were made by the clumping together of skeletons

of small animals and as more died and then clumped it made a large mass-the

coral reef. His two geological and biological discoveries led to his primary

conclusion that changes geologically and biological that things in nature will

change over long periods of time. He published three books concerning his

conclusions about these; Geological Observations on South America (1846), Coral

Reefs (1842), and his most famous geological piece Volcanic Islands (1844).

It was 1856, Darwin?s theories had been generally excepted among the

scientific community. Except one, Natural Selection, this theory he had not yet,

unleashed yet for it was far to complicated to be explained by tongue. He did

tell his friends this, who in turn set him to meet with another individual

Alfred Russel Wallace whom also had the same theory. Wallace had sent Darwin a

letter outlining what he had thought about Natural Selection. The two went

together after two years of research to London?s Linean Society in 1858 to

reveal what they thought. There was printed on November 24, 1859, it was under

the title “The Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the

Preservation of Favored Races in the Struggle for Life.”

On the eastern seaboard South America, Darwin researched many topics of

which made a strong importance to the scientific community. When the Beagle

docked to the west coast and islands of the shore called the Galapagos he

studied and researched like never before. This is also the scene for his most

well known discovery – Darwin?s Finches.

He noticed that every one of the ecosystems of the islands were exactly

the same, the climate, geography, and the humidity; just alike. He noticed that

there were a wide variety of avians (birds) on the islands. These birds, he

noted, were similar in many aspects except their beaks. Some had long and slim

beak -used for the small seeds, others had short, large, powerful beaks used for

crushing the bigger seeds, he noticed also some with small, fine beaks -used

for obtaining small insects. He later concluded, from fossil evidence, that all

of these birds had a common ancestor who the “Evolved” into the different

species we see today.

Conclusion

The impact of Charles Darwin will always be remembered. Under the

influence of his spouse, and after keeping his new ideas to himself for years

after arriving back in England, he finally recorded in a scientific journal

what he found (explained above). His remarkable discoveries opened a new

frontier in the scientific realm. He will always be remembered as a true pioneer

in the theory of evolution.

Bibliography

Bowlby, John, Charles Darwin: A New Life; 1991. Bowler, PJ., Charles Darwin: The

Man and His Influence; 1990. Keynes, R.D.,ed., Charles Darwin?s Beagle Diary;

1988. Moorhead, Alan, Darwin and the Beagle; 1969. Richards, Robert, The Meaning

of Evolution; 1993.