Biography
Theory of Evolution
Darwin’s contributions to Science
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English naturalist and biologist
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12.2.1809, Shrewsbury
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Theory of evolution
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Education (Edinburgh, Cambridge)
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John Henslow
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HMS ‘’Beagle’’
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Observing principles of Botany, Zoology,
Geology
Pacific Islands, Galapagos Archipelago
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Sir Charles Lyell’s “Principles of Geology”
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Geological Society – 1838 – 1841
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Marriage with his cousin
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Suffered from Chagas disease (due to an insect
bite)
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Origin of species
Natural selection – essence of Darwinian
theory
Alfred Russel Wallace – similarity of ideas
On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural
Selection, 1859
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The Descent of Man – evoked controversy (human
race originates from oran-gutans, chimpanzees
and gorillas )
Selection in Relation to Sex (sexual selection) , The
Expression
of
Emotions
in
Man
and
Animals , Insectivorous Plants , The Effects of Cross
and
Self
Fertilisation
in
the
Vegetable
Kingdom , Different Forms of Flowers in Plants of the
Same Species , and The Formation of Vegetable Mould
through the Action of Worms .
One of the great intellectual revolutions of
human history

Most scientists believed that each organism and
each adaptation was the work of the creator

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The great tree of life
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Five weeks long visit to the Galápagos Islands
in the Eastern Pacific Ocean
Various species live in different kinds of
environments
Unique finches, the famous "Darwin's finches"
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Darwin’s theory of evolution entails the following fundamental
ideas:
1. Species (populations of interbreeding organisms) change over
time and space
2. All organisms share common ancestors with other organisms
3. Evolutionary change is gradual and slow in Darwin’s view
What Darwin called the “struggle for existence”
 Process of Natural Selection
 Darwin’s process of natural selection has four
components:
1. Variation
2. Inheritance
3. High rate of population growth.
4. Differential survival and reproduction

Darwin - controversial to many religious
institutions and their followers, his theories
stayed almost unchanged from the 19-th century
until now.

Gave many answers on questions about
existence of all living things, from a basic bacteria
to human being.
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The first one who introduced biological
evolution trough biological selection.
Excluded God from human evolution
Claimed that humans most probably evolved
from primates
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Charles Darwin’s theories - ills of capitalism?
Application to economy and society - giving
birth to social Darwinism.

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Notorious social Darwinists include the two
wealthiest men of their time, Andrew Carnegie
and John Rockefeller.
Andrew Carnegie
John Rockefeller
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The problem of heredity
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Blending and separation
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Pea plants
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Mechanism of heredity – nonblending
(Mendel)

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Mendel’s laws
Neo-darwinism : Natural selection+ Mendelian
genetics
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Evolutionary biology

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nonconstancy of species = the modern conception of
evolution
Philosophy of science

Darwin introduced historicity into science
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Darwin ate the animals he encountered ;
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Glutton Club
Darwin and the Water therapy
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Bizzare treatments
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Ascension island
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Darwin was neurotic