![]() ![]() He reasoned that the birds’ isolation on the islands had itself brought about gradual changes that had resulted in the different varieties he observed. Though religious, he was uncomfortable with the notion that God would have expressly created 14 varieties of finches to inhabit these islands, especially since they were all different from the few dominant varieties on the mainland. Each was distinctive from mainland finches, and this set Darwin to thinking. In the Galapagos Islands, 650 miles off the coast of Ecuador, Darwin identified 14 varieties of finches-not just breeds or tribes, but species (because they bred true, and bred only among their own kind). He made acute observations of birds, turtles and mammals, which gradually germinated into an idea that, though it had no new component to it, served to revolutionize almost every aspect of Western thought: the evolution of species by natural selection. A year later, much to the chagrin of his father, he signed on as resident naturalist to HMS Beagle, a scientific exploratory ship, which was embarking on a five-year mission around the world.ĭuring his service on the Beagle, Darwin decided to give up pretensions of becoming a minister and opted for the life of a scientist-naturalist. He found, however, that he was more interested in his hobby-the study of nature.Įven while studying for the ministry, Darwin embarked on a field trip with Adam Sedgwick (one of the “big three” founders of modern geology) and earned encouragement for his clear skills as a naturalist. He went back to university and studied to be a minister of the Church of England. He was born in a mansion, son of a well-to-do physician and grandson of two of the most famous (and rich) men of his time: scientist and poet Erasmus Darwin and on his mother’s side, Josiah Wedgwood, well known even today for his distinctive porcelain.Īs a young man Darwin studied medicine but realized that his squeamish disposition made it impractical to take it up as a career. ![]() Though his life began and ended in the 19 th century, his ideas had a profound effect on life and thought in the West throughout the 20 th century.īorn the very same day as Abraham Lincoln, 4,000 miles away in the New World, Darwin did not share the emancipator’s humble beginnings. ![]() One of Darwin's strongest critics, Samuel Wilberforce, reviewed 'Origin' in the 'Quarterly Review' (1860).Charles Robert Darwin was born in Shrewsbury, Shropshire (England), in 1809 and died in Kent in 1882. These included the works of geologist Sir Charles Lyell and the Duke of Argyll. Murray also published many other significant works supporting or attacking evolutionary theories. When John Murray bought the firm of Smith Elder & Co in 1916 they acquired Darwin's titles 'The Structure and Distribution of Coral Reefs' and 'The Zoology of the Voyage of HMS Beagle'. He also published Darwin's 'The Descent of Man' (1871) and 'The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals' (1872). Murray continued to publish revised editions. ![]() His risk paid off - 'Origin' sold out its first edition of 1,250 copies quickly and a corrected second edition of 3000 copies was published in January 1860. John Murray III had to make a decision about the effect that publishing the work would have on the reputation of the firm. This was particularly controversial, as it suggested that humans were not created by God, but had evolved from other animals.īoth Darwin and John Murray III were aware of the impact that the book would have on the scientific community and on the British public.Ĭorrespondence held in the John Murray Archive between Darwin and Murray - and people Murray asked for advice - reveals the history of this seminal work. In the book, Darwin put forward the argument that species evolved from common ancestors through the process of 'natural selection'. John Murray published Charles Darwin's 'On the Origin of Species', widely recognised as the foundation for evolutionary biology, on 24 November 1859. ![]()
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