Notes

John Cavins

Early Life

Charles Darwin was born on February 12, 1809. His parents were Dr. Robert and Susannah Darwin. Darwin first school was Shrewsbury School, where most of the lessons were in the classics such as Latin but he didn't succeed in school as he wanted to. Darwin's main interest was nature. He was especially interested in beetles. One of Darwin's teachers encouraged Darwin to develop a large beetle collection, including some very rare species of beetle. Darwin's father wanted him to become a doctor, so in 1825 Darwin started going to Edinburgh Medical School. But he left after only two years, in 1827, because he couldn't stand the boring lectures and could not stand to watch the surgery, which at that time was done with no painkiller because he thought it was inhuman. In 1828, Darwin went to Cambridge University to study for priesthood, earning a bachelor of arts degree at Cambridge University in 1831. As Darwin Grew up he continued to develop his interest in rocks, fossils, animals, and plants. So he became friends with two of his Cambridge professors, geologist Adam Sedgwick and botanist John Henslow. As Darwin was thinking about his interests and future, an around-the-world sailing trip on the ship HMS Beagle was being arranged by the Royal Navy. Robert Fitzroy, captain of the Beagle, asked Professor John Henslow to recommend a naturalist for the journey. Henslow recommended Darwin.

On the HMS Beagle

Most of Darwin's evidence and ideas for his theory of natural selection came from his around-the-world trip on the sailing ship HMS Beagle. On December 27, 1831, Darwin left England for the first and last time. During that five-year journey, from December 27, 1831 to October 2, 1836, Darwin drew and wrote about what he saw, sent many specimens back to England, and developed ideas and questions about life that existed in the past and how it changed to become the way it is now.

Brazil

In Brazil he started to wonder how the life had become so complex and diverse. Darwin saw organisms chasing each other, eating each other, trying to find food and water and other things that they needed, and he started thinking about how every organism struggles for life.

Argentina

On one part of his journey, in Argentina, Darwin noticed that the grass where the cattle grazed was smaller and finer than the grass where cattle had not been introduced. Darwin thought that the grazing or droppings of the cattle must have somehow changed the grass, or allowed different grass to survive.

Tierra del Fuego

At the southernmost tip of South America, in Tierra del Fuego, Darwin met several Fuegian people. He was amazed at how well suited the natives were to their harsh environment. They stood out in the snow and sleet with little clothing, and slept on the wet ground. Darwin wrote: "Nature has fitted the Fuegian to the climate and productions of his miserable country."

Chile

The Beagle followed a 1,200 mile long area of the South American coast, from the Rio de la Plata to Tierra del Fuego, and Darwin noticed that some rocks in the south were much higher above sea level than the same rocks in the north, as if the whole continent had tilted. As the Beagle went around Cape Horn and was entering the port of Concepción, Chile, on February 20, 1835, a huge earthquake occurred. Looking at the amazing damage, Darwin noticed that rocks near the harbor had been lifted two or three feet, and that shellfish, seaweeds, and other marine organisms were high and dry. Darwin thought that maybe such huge changes in an organism's environment were connected to or caused changes in the organisms and in life on earth.

Galapagos

In 1835, after leaving South America, the Beagle sailed to the Galapagos Islands, about thirteen small islands six hundred miles from South America, near the Equator. There he saw many unique creatures found only on those islands, but similar to those on the mainland. Among these were marine iguanas and giant tortoises, which Darwin and the Beagle crew rode like horses. Not only were the animals different from those anywhere else on earth, many species had differences depending on which island they came from. For example, the Galapagos natives could tell from which island a tortoise came by the shape of its shell.

Death

He died from a fatal heart attack on April 19, 1882.