Discover facts about English naturalist Charles Darwin's revolutionary theory of evolution by natural selection and his pivotal voyage on the HMS Beagle.
On December 27, 1831, a 22-year-old English naturalist named Charles Darwin set sail from Plymouth, England, aboard HMS Beagle. This nearly five-year scientific expedition circumnavigated the globe, surveying coastlines and collecting specimens from diverse regions, including the shores of South America, the unique ecosystems of the Galápagos Islands, and distant lands like Australia and South Africa. Darwin spent much of this time exploring inland, making extensive geological and biological observations that profoundly influenced his understanding of the natural world.
These firsthand experiences, particularly his observations of distinct species on the Galápagos Islands, provided critical insights that led to his revolutionary theory. Darwin proposed that populations evolve over generations through a process he termed natural selection, where organisms better adapted to their environment tend to survive and reproduce more successfully. He detailed this concept in his seminal work, "On the Origin of Species," published on November 24, 1859, fundamentally changing scientific thought about the development of life on Earth.
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Correct Answer: Origin of Species
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