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Charles Darwin: The Voyage Of The Beagle

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After graduation from Christ’s College, Darwin achieved the position of naturalist aboard the HMS Beagle. The voyage began on December 27, 1831, and over the course of the trip, Darwin collected a variety of natural specimens, including his most famous specimen: Finches. Through hands-on research, he had the rare opportunity to observe the principles of botany, geology, and zoology in real time. The Pacific Islands and Galapagos Archipelago were of particular interest to Darwin, as was South America.

When Darwin returned to England in 1836, he began to write down his findings in the Journal of Researches, published as a part of Captain Fitzroy’s larger account, and later edited into the Zoology of the Voyage of the Beagle. From this journey, Darwin began to question how the species of the day came to be. Other naturalists believed that all species stayed the same throughout history, and either came into being at the start of the world, or were created over the course of natural history. Darwin, however, noticed similarities among species separated by oceans, along with variations among those of the same location, leading him to believe that they had gradually evolved from common ancestors. He hypothesized that species survived through a process called "natural selection”, where species that successfully adapted to meet the changing requirements of their natural habitat thrived, …show more content…

On November 24, 1859, he published a detailed explanation of his theory in his best-known work, On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection. His ideas directly contrasted creationists and intelligent design. Creationists believed that a supreme being created all life at the one time, most famously God. While, intelligent design dictates that nature works under the puppet strings of a supreme

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