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DARWIN

DARWIN. Darwin: The Early Years. Charles Darwin was born to an upper class family in 1806 and was the 5 th of 6 children At his father’s request, he enrolled in medical school and then to study for the clergy; neither of which interested him more than exploring the natural sciences.

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DARWIN

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  1. DARWIN

  2. Darwin: The Early Years • Charles Darwin was born to an upper class family in 1806 and was the 5th of 6 children • At his father’s request, he enrolled in medical school and then to study for the clergy; neither of which interested him more than exploring the natural sciences. • His professors recognized this aptitude, and one recommended him to join a 3 year voyage on the HMS Beagle.

  3. The Beagle • The HMS Beagle set sail for a voyage around the world on December 27th 1831. • The primary goal was to chart poorly known stretches of the South American Coastline • Darwin’s job on board, as the ship’s naturalist, was to study the geology, plants, and animals encountered in the voyage. • During this time, he collected thousands of specimens and recorded over 4000 pages of notes.

  4. Voyage of the Beagle

  5. Darwin’s Observations • Some of Darwin’s most important observations were recorded in the Galapagos archipelago: • He observed that isolated areas often contained species that are found nowhere else. • These isolated species most closely resemble species on the nearest continental land mass. • Many species have adaptations that confer an advantage in their specific location. • Most notable were the observations he recorded about the various types of finches.

  6. Darwin’s Finches • While in the Galapagos, Darwin identified 13 previously unknown species of Finches.

  7. Darwin’s Finches • The finches in each region of the Galapagos resembled the birds on the mainland of S. America • The Finches appeared to have beaks well-suited to the food available in their specific location. • Those with long, narrow beaks fed on nectar and seeds of cactus flowers • Those with larger, shorter beaks fed on nuts and seeds found on the ground

  8. Lyell’s Contribution • Darwin read Lyell’s book Principles of Geology while on board the Beagle. • He applied Lyell’s idea of gradual geological change resulting in dramatic differences, to biology.

  9. The Birth of a Theory… • Darwin recognized that the Galapagos was a harsh environment and species were in a constant “struggle for existence” • Any favorable traits possessed by an organism makes it more likely to survive and less favorable traits die off; this is natural selection. • He suggested that over long periods of time, natural selection could cause gradual changes in characteristics, what he called descent with modification.

  10. Criticism Of Darwin’s Idea: Scopes Monkey Trial • 24-year old John Scopes was arrested in 1925 for teaching evolution to his high school biology class in Dayton, Tennessee. • The state had recently passed a law that prohibited the teaching of evolution • The jury found scopes guilty and fined him $100. • The anti-evolution law stood for another 42 years.

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