#InternationalDarwinDay #Evolution #NaturalSelection #TheTheoryofEvolution #CharlesDarwin #Darwinianisn

Preface:

With many challenges and abruptly implemented changes facing our Educational Communities at large, I invite all who read this to think about such changes in terms of the valuable perspectives of Charles Darwin in his Theory of Evolution by Natural Selection, where he tells us “It is not the strongest that survive, Nor the most intelligent, But those most responsive to change.” How do we apply the rules for Evolution given to explain the Biological mechanisms of change to our sociocultural approach to education and moreover how do we “survive” the turbulence and great degree of uncertainty in the current state of our National Educational atmosphere? How do we respond to change?

How do Teachers, Parents and Students not only “survive” but thrive, sustain, and expand under the policies and Common Core Standards that are presently in place? What are your thoughts on the divided support for new strategies for the future of Education, including the emergence of Charter Schools and where do you stand? The solutions are in standing together.

As an Educational Institution offering blended learning solutions that support holistic learning strategies inclusive of the Common Core Standards as well as an interdisciplinary approach that effectively bridges the gaps therein; We value your opinions and feedback as we take the time to consider the future of our Programs and their foundational implementation on a broader scale. In this, we not only appreciate community support and feedback but rely on it to continue to bring forth the best and most current educational support services.

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In Honor of Darwin Day we will be posting several articles from our research and papers on Evolution and Ecology which serve as a foundational basis of an upcoming Summer Program for local Students. We begin with a Biography and follow up this week with his entire Voyage on the HMS Beagle, where he made observations as a young naturalist that would lead to his Theory of Evolution several decades later.

Happy Learning!

Charles Robert Darwin

Birth: February 12, 1809 in Shrewsbury, England
Death: April 19, 1882 in Kent, England
Nationality: English
Occupation: Naturalist, Biologist, Scientist, Explorer, Writer
Source: Scientists: Their Lives and Works, Vols. 1-7. Online Edition. U*X*L, 2006.
Updated: 01/01/2006

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Biographical Essay
Further Readings
Source Citation

“Animals … may partake of our origin in one common ancestor—we may be all netted together.”

English naturalist Charles Darwin was not the first scientist to argue that life evolved (changed form) over generations. He was, however, the first to offer a detailed theory suggesting how evolution might take place. In 1859, he presented his theory, which he called natural selection, in his book The Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection. It is considered one of the most influential scientific works of all time.

A distaste for formal education

Charles Robert Darwin was born in Shrewsbury, England, on February 12, 1809. His mother was Susannah Wedgwood, the daughter of Josiah Wedgwood, the founder of the famous pottery firm. His father, Robert Waring Darwin, was a physician and the son of Erasmus Darwin, a well-known physician, poet, and botanist. Darwin’s mother died when he was a child, and his older sisters provided his early education. Showing an interest in science, he began collecting specimens and conducting scientific experiments when he was still quite young.

Darwin was a less than enthusiastic student. In 1817, he was sent to a day school, but he did not do well. A year later he went to the Shrewsbury School, where he studied the classics, which he did not especially like. Although he went on to Edinburgh University to study medicine, he left college because the mandatory observation of operations on unanesthetized patients deeply troubled him. Darwin’s father finally sent him to Cambridge University to prepare for a career as a clergyman in the Church of England. At Cambridge Darwin had his first rewarding experience with education when he met John Henslow, a botanist, who became his mentor and encouraged his interest in natural history.

Teaches himself scientific method

After Darwin earned a bachelor’s degree in 1831, Henslow recommended him for the position of unpaid naturalist (a biologist who studies nature) on board the H.M.S. Beagle. The expedition had been chartered to establish a number of chronometric (time-keeping) stations and to survey the southern coasts of South America as well as several Pacific islands. Darwin’s father initially opposed the trip because it was dangerous and would delay his son’s entry into the church, but he finally relented.

Although Darwin had no formal scientific training, over the course of the trip–which began in December 1831 and lasted nearly five years–he turned himself into an expert scientist. Since he was often seasick, he would spend as much time ashore as possible and travel overland to meet the Beagle at the nearest port. During his excursions, he taught himself the scientific method, which involved meticulously collecting evidence and carefully formulating theories based on that evidence.

Notices evolutionary changes

While in Brazil, Darwin found his first fossil, the skull of an extinct giant sloth (a slow-moving tropical mammal). For the next three years he made geological and biological observations, took records, and collected specimens of every kind as the ship cruised back and forth along the coast of South America. Darwin had begun to notice that animals and plants had undergone indisputable evolutionary changes. In some areas, certain species had become extinct, like the gigantic fossil armadillos of South America; but Darwin noticed similar, though not identical, armadillos in other areas nearby.

Darwin was also perplexed by the fact that existing species had demonstrated characteristics similar to those of extinct species. He observed, too, that clearly different species of animals found in some locations were completely lacking in other areas. Moreover, the fledgling naturalist was intrigued by the fact that plants and animals of oceanic islands were likely to resemble the same plant and animal species existing on neighboring continents. Yet it was peculiar, he thought, that islands with the same geological features could each contain completely different animal species.

Suggests common ancestor

Four years after setting sail, the Beagle landed in the Galápagos Islands, where Darwin would make the most significant observations of the expedition. He documented fourteen different types of finch birds on the various islands, yet he observed that each type of finch appeared to have adapted completely to the island on which it lived. For instance, insect-eating finches had sharp, fine beaks that they used to stab their prey. Seed-eating finches, however, had more powerful, parrot-like bills for breaking seed shells.

Another curiosity were giant tortoises that appeared to be similar to one another but possessed distinctive features. Local island inhabitants could tell by sight from which island any of the giant creatures had come. As he continued to observe specimens Darwin began to wonder whether this biological diversity occurred at random or if in fact a pattern could be detected. Eventually he arrived at a possible explanation: differences between species had to be the result of change over a long period of time.

Originates theory of natural selection

After Darwin returned to Britain in 1836 his ideas came into focus, and he formulated a theory to support his premise about a common ancestor. He began by asserting that if species had changed over time, the issue of diversity was resolved. However, numerous other questions arose. For instance, he asked why a human’s arm and leg bones are basically similar to those of a dog and a horse. He also questioned why lizards and rabbits are similar in embryo form but are distinctly different in their adult forms. He noticed that many animals, including humans, have organs that have no vital function, such as the appendix. And he wondered why many different organisms behave in similar ways. Darwin concluded the bulk of these questions could be answered–but only if species were connected by descent from common ancestors.

Publishes revolutionary work

As a result of the Beagle voyage, Darwin had a lifetime of data upon which to base his theory–and he had not yet reached the age of thirty. He never went abroad again. His most important work, The Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, was published in 1859. All copies sold in one day. Using comparative anatomy as evidence, Darwin formulated the theory of evolution that has guided scientists ever since: in the struggle for survival, successive generations of a species pass on to their offspring the characteristics that enable the species to survive. Darwin named this process natural selection. For example, the whitish fur of a polar bear blends in with the bear’s snowy environment, strongly contrasting with the brown and black fur of bears living in the forest. Different traits among similar animals thus represent genetic adaptations to specific environments.

Causes scientific controversy

In 1871, Darwin applied his theory to the evolution of human beings in The Descent of Man. Many people were repulsed by the suggestion that humans could somehow be related to earlier, nonhuman life forms. Yet Darwin’s ideas were so convincing that he succeeded in persuading most of the scientific community that natural selection and evolution were a real possibility. Toward the end of the nineteenth century, however, he lost some of his followers because he lacked an explanation for how evolutionary variations were produced or passed on. Without knowing how such variations occurred, critics argued, scientists could reach no workable conclusions through the theory of natural selection.

But Darwin’s ideas were later confirmed by the work of Gregor Mendel, the Austrian biologist who identified the gene as the basic unit of heredity. Although Mendel’s theory was not formally acknowledged until the early 1900s, he demonstrated that genes are the molecular “blueprints”–called the genetic code–that are passed on to succeeding generations. Evolutionists known as neo-Darwinists were therefore able to validate Darwin’s theory: natural selection involves the evolution not only of physical and behavioral traits but also the genes that carry those traits.

Offends religious leaders

Following his return to England, Darwin lived for a while as a bachelor in London. In January 1839, he married Emma Wedgwood, his cousin, and later that month he was elected to the Royal Society, a prestigious scientific organization. The Darwin first settled in London, but because of Darwin’s poor health they moved to the county of Kent, where they spent the rest of their lives. They had ten children, three of whom died in childhood.

Since no organic cause could ever be found for Darwin’s ill health, he was suspected of being a hypochondriac, a person who worries abnormally about personal health and often creates imaginary illnesses. A strong possibility is that he actually suffered from Chagas’ disease (a tropical American disease): he had been bitten by the Benchuca, the “black bug of the pampas,” which is a carrier, and he had all the symptoms of the disease. Darwin died at the age of seventy-three on April 19, 1882. He received no recognition from the British government during his lifetime because his ideas about evolution offended leaders of the Church of England, who espoused the doctrine of divine creation of humanity. At the request of Parliament, however, Darwin was accorded the honor of burial in Westminster Abbey.

Tag: #InternationalDarwinDay #Evolution #NaturalSelection #TheTheoryofEvolution #CharlesDarwin #Darwinianisn

International Darwin Day