Charles Darwin's Reputation In The US

The documentary, “Darwin’s Dangerous Idea” tells the story of Charles Darwin’s conception of his theory of natural selection, and how it explains the evolutionary process and species adaptation. The story begins with a brief overview of his 5-year stint on the HMS Beagle as the ship's naturalist, during her South American voyage. The film shows how Mr. Darwin collected fossils and many species of animals and birds from many different regions especially the Galapagos Islands. It portrays Mr. Darwin’s return to England and his struggle between the mainstream religious beliefs and his personal beliefs of how different species came to be. Additionally, the documentary covers his presentation of fossils and ideas to the scientific community,

Darwin was the British naturalist who became famous for his theories of evolution and natural selection. Like several scientists before him, Darwin believed all the life on earth evolved over millions of years from a few common ancestors. From 1831 to 1836 Darwin served as naturalist aboard the H.M.S. Beagle on a British science expedition around the world. In South America Darwin found fossils of extinct animals that were similar to modern species. On the Galapagos Islands in the Pacific Ocean he noticed many variations among plants and animals of the same general type as those in South America. The expedition visited places around the world, and Darwin studied plants and animals everywhere he went, collecting specimens for further study.

Charles Darwin began his scientific breakthroughs and upcoming theories when he began an expedition trip to the Galapagos Islands of South America. While studying there, he discovered that each island had its own type of plant and animal species. Although these plants and animals were similar in appearance, they had other characteristics that made them differ from one another and seem to not appear as similar. Darwin questioned why these plants and animals were on these islands and why they are different in ways.

In 1837, Charles Darwin was traveling aboard the H.M.S. Beagle in the Eastern Pacific when he stopped on the Galapagos Islands. There, Darwin found a wide array of animals including the Galápagos finches. The differences that he uncovered between these animals sparked Darwin’s interest; he had never before seen nor attempted to understand the similarities and differences inherent within these species. Examining each and uncovering the probable reasons for their distinctions, namely their differing needs for adaptation, Darwin constructed his theory of natural selection. From his observations on the Galapagos Islands, Darwin continued developing his research into eventually what became known as the Origin of Species, published in 1858. In this book, he asserted that these animals and differing species did not just appeared out of thin air, but rather had evolved from other species through the process of natural selection. Yet, his scientific findings were not accepted by the general public when first published, nor long after. Instead, they sparked a great uproar and criticism, since for most people accepted the theory of the Creation, the belief of divine creation, as the way people and species appeared on earth. His findings, so contrary to the then accepted norm of creation, were met with hostility and resentment by many who considered his work

Charles Darwin did not occur with the Theory of Evolution on this trip. As a matter of fact, his grandfather Erasmus Darwin had already inject the thought that species evolve through time in Charles. However, the Galapagos finches guidance Darwin strengthen his idea of natural selection. The favorable adjustment of Darwin's Finches' beaks were chosen for over generations until they all split out to make new species.

The original purpose of Darwin’s voyage on the H.M.S. Beagle was to find evidence that could prove the biblical theory to be true, and to discover and chart the South American coastline which was not well known. He was to collect specimens of rocks, plants, minerals and animals along with observing and recording them. The ultimate significance of this trip for Darwin was rather than being able to prove that the biblical theory, he had evidence of evolution by natural selection. He found fossils of Glyptodont and Megatherium which were very similar to the common armadillo which led him to question whether the Earth was 6000 years old as it was believed to be or much older than that, and when collecting the common bird discovered differences

Darwin, after arriving at the Galapagos Islands in 1831, went to study animals. He ended up studying, 13 kinds of finches, earthworms,

He was surprised to learn the local people could tell by looking at a tortoise which island it came from. He also studied finches and each island had a different species of finch.Later Darwin came to the conclusion that all were descended from a single species of finch. On each island the finches had diverged and become slightly different. The Beagle arrived at Falmouth on 2 October 1836 and two days later Darwin arrived in Shrewsbury the county town of Shropshire, England. Charles Darwin then wrote several books about his voyage. The first was Journal of Researches, which was an account of his voyage. He also wrote Coral Reefs, which was published in 1842, Volcanic Islands (1844), and Geographical Observations on South America (1846). Darwin gained a reputation as a brilliant geologist. Meanwhile Charles Darwin was influenced by a geologist called Charles

Carl Linnaeus was a Swedish Naturalist, He set up the system of assigning animals species names in latin (pg. 2). He also assigned them genus’s, families, and kingdoms. This gave other scientist a common language to use when talking about animals and in turn helped Charles Darwin with his examples and gave a general idea that all animals are connected in a way. Carl also inspired many future scientist’s to travel the globe including Charles Darwin. But Charles didn’t just form this earth shaking theory of evolution by looking at others work he actually explored places and observed the many animals there. On December 27, 1831 Charles Darwin began his scientific voyage that would ultimately change the world upon a ship called the “beagle”, the beagle 's voyage lasted almost five years. Darwin was on land most of this journey; investigating geology, and making natural history collections, while the beagle was mapping and charting the coast. In 1835 the beagle was charting the coasts of the Galapagos islands, during that time Darwin was on the islands. While Darwin was on the islands he noticed that there was a species of birds called the finch on all the islands. The thing about these birds was that they were all the same species, but on each island they had different sizes and shapes of beaks. Charles was baffled at such a discovery. How could Finches of the same species have such vastly

Darwin’s voyage challenges the beliefs held by Europeans concerning the state of life on these faraway lands. Darwin’s observations uncover that some islands are not bustling with human life, but are rather at the early stages of life. Darwin puts this idea out through his visit to St. Paul’s Rocks where few large organisms are found, “We found on St. Paul's only two kinds of birds—the booby and the noddy” (Darwin ). The details Darwin records are contrary to the perceptions held by Europeans. They expected lands teeming with life, brightly colored birds, and other humans, but this is not the case on St. Paul’s Rocks. Darwin pops the balloon of imagination and attacks the over exaggeration of tropical landscapes with his travel logs. Life is less interesting on these islands than Europeans had expected. Humans are not the center of life on these islands; insignificant organisms such as spiders are the first steps of life on these lands, “ Not a single plant, not even a lichen, grows on this islet; yet it is inhabited by several insects and spiders” (Darwin ). This observation would go on to become part of Darwin’s theory of evolution. His voyage provided the hints towards evolution before Darwin even thought about the concept. His observations challenged the status quo in Europe and led to the formulation of a

In 1831, Charles Darwin thought he had “wasted” (his word) his college education. The 22-year-old was thus sent off by his father on a five-year journey that would change our understanding of our place in the nonhuman world. After five weeks on the Galápagos Islands, far out in the middle of the Pacific off the coast of Ecuador, Darwin’s observations and drawings of finches and tortoises led him to formulate the idea of natural selection, the centerpiece of his version of evolution. As he walked the sandy shorelines of these craggy volcanoes, he suddenly realized that the birds around him had variable beaks because natural selection had selected certain beaks as more useful than others: some for gathering seeds, others for crushing nuts, a

Charles Darwin set sail in 1831, and came back from his voyage in 1836. He Had endured sea sickness, miraculously survived a sickness that spread all over the ship, and kept his sanity while being cramped in a tight space while writing about his findings. The boat that he was riding sailed near the equator, where he took his first steps onto south America. There he found new species of animals, and plants that he had never seen before. All these new specimens amazed him, but all that Charles could think of, is how these animals came to be.

Darwin went on many trips but his most memorable by many was the trip to the Galapagos Island. He wasn’t really impressed by the island but he still carried on with his work. He collected birds but the most memorable kind was the finches. He collected and collected. Then after four long years he left to go back home. He was finally free from the horrid seasickness. When he returned home he considered turning all of his recordings and journals into books. This would give him a chance to review what he did. So he did it, it took him eight months to turn the journals into books. In his books it showed that he studied fossils and observing the different animals and specimen around him.

The finches of the Galapagos islands, which Charles Darwin discovered in 1835, are a classic example of adaptive radiation. Darwin concluded that the finches all came from a common ancestor and defined the principle of natural selection. This ancestor was the first finch to colonise the young volcanic Galapagos islands. Each island had a different source of food and the finches gradually diversified in order to better survive on their specific island. The beaks of each finch changed in order to be better adapted to eat the certain

     After school Darwin became naturalist on board the royal navy ship the Beagle. The Beagle left England on December 27, 1831 this was a small ship with a crew of 74, Darwin had a small laboratory and a hammock to sleep on, he suffered bad seasickness. Darwin’s job aboard the Beagle allowed him to study on many different continents. He