Darwin Flashcards
So what did Darwin really do? please think of four things :)
he made a convincing case for the reality of evolutionary change. It was not the first case, but it was the first case to be widely accepted among biologists.
He killed essentialism in biology
he presented a reasonable mechanism for evolution: NATURAL SELECTION
he explained the apparent design and purpose in organisms in a natural way. he banished teleological explanation from biology
Darwins life 1809-1882
where did he go to school?
lived without financial worries
his father sent him to the University of Edinburgh to study medicine, but
he lacked interest and motivation
While at Edinburgh, he became interested in natural history and
geology. He met Robert Grant, a zoologist and Lamarckian, and Robert
Jameson, from whom Darwin took a naturalist course.
What was his role on the beagle?
ships naturalist and to keep the captain company
When Darwin returned to England he married Emma wegewood (his cousin) and moved to the down house. He then published 3 book wat were they?
The voyage of the beagle
five volume woke on invertebrates he had collected
the structure and distruction of Coral reefs
When Darwin was home what did he start thinking about?
evolution which back then was called species transmutation
How was the state of Darwins health?
very poor for most of his life
What did darwin research at the Down house?
Barnacles - 8 years
evolution including human
earthworms
animal behaviour
insectivorous plants
power of movement in plants
plant reproduction
domestication of plants and animals and their variation
The origin of species
his work on evolution was the result of what?
of primary observations by himself and by others not the odeas of prior evolutionary thinkers
in July 1837 Darwin started a notebook on species transmutation this lead him to think what?
that with his observations and material he had gathered on his voyage he was convinced that evolution occurs
What else about evolution did Darwin search for to strengthen his evolutionary theories?
the cause of evolutionary change. He wondered what natural phenomenon could select for certain inherited traits the way artificial selection could
What happened to Darwins sketch he made in 1842 and the essay he wrote in 1844?
Neither were published in his lifetime. the sketch had some of his evolutionary ideas and the essay was 160 pages long
Why did Darwin keep his 1844 eassay a secret?
Effort was too slight
Wanted to strong up his reputation as a naturalist
Worried about the vestiges
In 1854 Darwin returned to his evolutionary work after eight years of studying what?
barnacles
in 1856 Darwin began writing a 1000 page book he wanted to call Natural Selection who encouraged this?
Lyell and Hooker but they had warmed him he may be scooped
What did Alfred Russel Wallace do?
he was an english naturalist living in Indo in 1858 he wrote a brief outline of evolution by natural selection and sent it to Darwin for his opinion, unaware that darwin had been working on the same thing