Charles Darwin
Also known as Charles Robert Darwin
English naturalist (1809 to 1882) who proposed evolution by natural selection.
At a glance
Main ideas
Common descent, Natural selection, Sexual selection …
See all 4Books to start with
The Voyage of the Beagle, On the Origin of Species, The Descent of Man, and Selection in Relation to Sex …
See all 4Connections
Alfred Russel Wallace, Thomas Robert Malthus and 5 others
See all 7
Also on this page: Key facts · Links · Sources · Related pages
- Darwin was an English naturalist, geologist and biologist.
- He proposed that all species descend from a common ancestor, and, with Alfred Russel Wallace, that this branching came about through natural selection.
- His five-year voyage on HMS Beagle established him as a geologist.
- He set out his theory with evidence in On the Origin of Species (1859) and applied it to humans in The Descent of Man (1871).
Why it matters
- His theory became the unifying theory of the life sciences, explaining both the unity and the diversity of life.
Key facts
- Born
- 12 Feb 1809, The Mount, Shrewsbury, Shropshire1
- Died
- 19 Apr 1882, Down House, aged 73; buried in Westminster Abbey1
- Education
- Medicine at the University of Edinburgh, which he neglected; Christ's College, Cambridge, from 1828 to 18311
- HMS Beagle
- Voyage from 1831 to 18361
- Natural selection
- Devised the theory in 1838, after reading Malthus's Essay on the Principle of Population1
- Joint paper
- Read with Alfred Russel Wallace's at the Linnean Society of London on 1 Jul 18581
- Royal Society
- Elected a Fellow on 24 Jan 1839; Royal Medal in 18531
- Religion
- In 1879 he wrote that "an agnostic would be the most correct description of my state of mind"1
Main ideas
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Common descent1
All species have descended from a common ancestor, in a branching pattern.
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Natural selection1
Species breed beyond their resources, so favourable variations are preserved and unfavourable ones lost, forming new species.
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Sexual selection1
Mate choice and competition between males explain features like the peacock's plumage.
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Humans are animals1
Humans show continuity of physical and mental traits with other animals, and all humans are one species.
Books to start with
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The Voyage of the Beagle1
His travel journal, which made him a popular author.
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On the Origin of Species1
His theory of evolution, with evidence.
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The Descent of Man, and Selection in Relation to Sex1
Human evolution and sexual selection.
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The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals1
An early work of psychology and one of the first books with photographs.
Connections
Related
- Alfred Russel WallaceProposed natural selection jointly with Darwin in 1858
- Thomas Robert MalthusPersonDarwin's reading of Malthus's Essay in 1838 led him to natural selection
- An Essay on the Principle of PopulationBookDarwin cited the 6th edition as a key influence on natural selection
- Herbert SpencerPersonCoined "survival of the fittest" after reading On the Origin of Species
- Thomas Henry HuxleyPersonKnown as "Darwin's Bulldog" for defending his theory
- Women and EconomicsBookBuilds on his theory of evolution and on Social Darwinism
Writes
Links
Sources
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