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The young naturalist
Born in 1809, Darwin was fascinated by all living things from a young age. While growing up he was an avid reader of nature books and devoted his spare time to exploring the fields around his home, collecting plants and insects.
In 1825 he became a medical student at the University of Edinburgh but was so traumatised by an operation performed on a child without anaesthetic that he gave up his studies without completing the course. He then went to Cambridge University to study theology.
Darwin graduated 4 years later, but was in no hurry to take holy orders. Instead, he set off on a journey that was to change his life, and much more besides.
Drawing of HMS Beagle from 'A Naturalist's Voyage Round the World' 1912 by Charles Darwin
In 1831 Darwin embarked on a 5-year voyage aboard the Beagle. The ship sailed to South America to carry out surveying work. Darwin, who had been recommended by one of his Cambridge professors, had a joint role as naturalist and companion to the ship’s captain, Robert FitzRoy.
Darwin explored remote regions and marvelled at a world so different from the one he knew. He encountered birds with bright blue feet, sharks with T-shaped heads and oversized tortoises.
Everywhere he went, Darwin amassed plants, animals and fossils, and took copious notes. These collections and records were to provide the clues he needed to develop his remarkable theory.
On returning to England in 1836, Darwin spent years analysing his specimens.
Theory of natural selection
Darwin realised that evolution occurs by the process of natural selection. The ‘fittest’ animals or plants – those with the characteristics best suited to their environment – are more likely to survive and reproduce.
They pass on these desirable characteristics to their offspring. Gradually those features become more common, causing the species to change over time. If the changes are great enough, they could produce a new species altogether.
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