CHARLES DARWIN
The most important evolutionary scientist of the nineteenth century was Charles Darwin (1809-1882). Students from the universities of Edinburgh and Cambridge in England, completed his theological studies at the age of 22 years. Prepared for Protestant minister of the Church, however, Darwin's greatest interest was in the natural world.
In 1831 he joined, as a naturalist, the crew of the British Navy ship HMS Beagle, which would conduct a mapping expedition around the world for 5 years. This trip was essential to the thinking of Charles Darwin. In the Galapagos Islands in the Pacific Ocean off South America, was impressed by the species of animals he saw and, above all, by the subtle differences between birds of the islands. From these observations, Darwin realized that these differences could be connected with the fact that the species lived in a different environment with different food. At that time Darwin began to outline his ideas about evolution.
Darwin understood that any population of individuals is slightly different from each other. Variations between individuals makes each one has different abilities to adapt to the environment, successfully reproduce and pass on their traits to their offspring. Over generations, the traits of individuals best adapted to natural conditions become more common and the population evolves. Darwin called this process "descent with modification." Similarly, nature selects the species best adapted to survive and reproduce. This process is called natural selection.
Darwin's thinking was also strongly influenced by the ideas of Thomas Malthus, who wrote that the human population tended to grow exponentially and so to finish the food resources available. This causes a crisis that leads individuals to compete against each other for survival. Darwin believed that variations in heritable traits of individuals made them more or less able to face competition for resources.
Over 20 years later that began to develop his ideas about evolution, Darwin published his theory in his book The Origin of Species (1859). Its publication caused great controversy and is opposed by religious thinkers because he missed the creationist theory land and moved him from the center of creation. This book convinced scientists and the educated public that living things change over time.
The Origin of Species (1859)
The theory of evolution that Darwin had postulated an enormous impact on European thought in the second half of the nineteenth century. The main arguments of the Origin of Species, published in 1859 are:
1. Biological types or species are not fixed or static existence but are constantly changing.
2. Life appears as a constant struggle for existence and survival.
3. The struggle for survival causes the less fit organisms to a specific environment disappear and let the best adapted to reproduce, this process is called natural selection. "
4. Natural selection, development and evolution require an enormous amount of time, so long that a human life you can not see these phenomena.
5. Genetic variations that cause increased chances of survival are random and are not caused either by God (such as religious thought) or the tendency for organisms to seek perfection (as proposed by Lamarck).
addition to this book, Darwin wrote two more: Variations on domesticated plants and animals (1868) and The Descent of Man and Selection in Relation to Sex (1871).
Charles Darwin's work laid the foundations of modern evolutionary biology. And although it is now known that species have evolved over time is not yet clear how this has happened.
In 1831 he joined, as a naturalist, the crew of the British Navy ship HMS Beagle, which would conduct a mapping expedition around the world for 5 years. This trip was essential to the thinking of Charles Darwin. In the Galapagos Islands in the Pacific Ocean off South America, was impressed by the species of animals he saw and, above all, by the subtle differences between birds of the islands. From these observations, Darwin realized that these differences could be connected with the fact that the species lived in a different environment with different food. At that time Darwin began to outline his ideas about evolution.
Darwin understood that any population of individuals is slightly different from each other. Variations between individuals makes each one has different abilities to adapt to the environment, successfully reproduce and pass on their traits to their offspring. Over generations, the traits of individuals best adapted to natural conditions become more common and the population evolves. Darwin called this process "descent with modification." Similarly, nature selects the species best adapted to survive and reproduce. This process is called natural selection.
Darwin's thinking was also strongly influenced by the ideas of Thomas Malthus, who wrote that the human population tended to grow exponentially and so to finish the food resources available. This causes a crisis that leads individuals to compete against each other for survival. Darwin believed that variations in heritable traits of individuals made them more or less able to face competition for resources.
Over 20 years later that began to develop his ideas about evolution, Darwin published his theory in his book The Origin of Species (1859). Its publication caused great controversy and is opposed by religious thinkers because he missed the creationist theory land and moved him from the center of creation. This book convinced scientists and the educated public that living things change over time.
The Origin of Species (1859)
The theory of evolution that Darwin had postulated an enormous impact on European thought in the second half of the nineteenth century. The main arguments of the Origin of Species, published in 1859 are:
1. Biological types or species are not fixed or static existence but are constantly changing.
2. Life appears as a constant struggle for existence and survival.
3. The struggle for survival causes the less fit organisms to a specific environment disappear and let the best adapted to reproduce, this process is called natural selection. "
4. Natural selection, development and evolution require an enormous amount of time, so long that a human life you can not see these phenomena.
5. Genetic variations that cause increased chances of survival are random and are not caused either by God (such as religious thought) or the tendency for organisms to seek perfection (as proposed by Lamarck).
addition to this book, Darwin wrote two more: Variations on domesticated plants and animals (1868) and The Descent of Man and Selection in Relation to Sex (1871).
Charles Darwin's work laid the foundations of modern evolutionary biology. And although it is now known that species have evolved over time is not yet clear how this has happened.
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