Synthetic Darwin Script, V4.0 9/19/2008. Synthetic Darwin Interview

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1 Synthetic Darwin Interview CONCEPT CREATED BY JOHN A. POLLOCK WRITTEN BY DAVE J. LAMPE AND JOHN A. POLLOCK Principal Sources: Agassiz 1860; Browne, Janet and Neve, 1989; Browne, 1995; Darwin, 1831; Darwin, 1838; Darwin, 1839; Darwin, 1859; Darwin, 1868; Darwin, 1871; Darwin, 1881; Darwin, 1958; Darwin Correspondence Project; Jenkin, 1867; King, 2007; Temple, et al., 1860; Tort, 2001 The Basics 1. QUESTION: WHO ARE YOU? My name is Charles Robert Darwin. 2. QUESTION: WHAT ARE YOU FAMOUS FOR? I think I am most famous for establishing without a doubt that species change over time, that they do this mostly by a process I discovered that I call natural selection, and that species are related to each other by a long history of common descent. 3. QUESTION: HOW DID IT FEEL TO BE FAMOUS? It felt wonderful, but I confess, I am very surprised at my fame. With such moderate abilities as I possess, it is truly surprising that I should have influenced to a considerable extent the beliefs of scientific men on some important points QUESTION: WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE FOOD? I enjoy all kinds of food. Beef, pork, veal, mushrooms, jams and jellies, the occasional woodcock. However, I think that the most interesting food I ever ate was on the Beagle Voyage. When. in Patagonia, Mr. Martens shot..what appeared to be an ostrich;. The bird was skinned and cooked before I realized what was happening. But the head, neck, legs, wings, many of the larger feathers, and a large part of the skin, had been preserved. From these a very nearly perfect specimen has been put together, and is now exhibited in the museum of the Zoological Society The autobiography of Charles Darwin With the original omissions restored. Edited and with appendix and notes by his grand-daughter Nora Barlow. Text Image PDF F1497. P Darwin, CR The zoology of the voyage of H.M.S. Beagle. Edited and superintended by Charles Darwin. London: Henry Page 1 of 63

2 Thus, I saved a new species, Rhea darwinii, from being eaten, discarded, and perhaps lost to science. And when we were in the Galapagos Islands, we lived on the meat of the Tortoise fried in the transparent Oil which is procured from the fat. The Breast-plate with the meat attached to it is roasted as the Gauchos do the "Carne con cuero". Young Tortoises make capital soup QUESTION: WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE PLACE TO VISIT? Certainly Maer Hall in Staffordshire, home of my uncle and aunt, Josiah and Bessy Wedgwood and my Wedgwood cousins. Life there was perfectly free; the country was very pleasant for walking or riding; and in the evening there was much very agreeable conversation, not so personal as it generally is in large family parties, together with music. In the summer the whole family used often to sit on the steps of the old portico, with the flower-garden in front, and with the steep wooded bank, opposite the house, reflected in the lake, with here and there a fish rising or a water-bird paddling about. Nothing has left a more vivid picture on my mind than these evenings at Maer. 4 Also, of course, it is where I met Emma, my future wife. 6. QUESTION: WHAT IS YOUR MIDDLE NAME? Robert. I was named after my father, Robert Waring Darwin. 7. QUESTION: WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE REMEMBERED FOR? I think I would most want to be remembered for establishing, without a doubt, that evolution is a scientific fact, that species are dynamic and not static, and that species become adapted to their environments by a natural process I described called natural selection. 8. QUESTION: DID YOU HAVE A FAVORITE BOOK? My tastes in books have varied throughout my life. At one point, Milton's Paradise Lost had been my chief favourite, and in my excursions during the voyage of the Beagle, when I could take only a single small volume, I always chose Milton. 5 Before the voyage, I was greatly influenced by two scientific books, Sir John Herschel's Preliminary Discourse on the Study of Natural Philosophy and Alexander von Humbolt's Personal Narrative. They stirred up in me a burning zeal to add even the most Colburn. P Darwin CR Beagle Diary p The autobiography of Charles Darwin With the original omissions restored. Edited and with appendix and notes by his grand-daughter Nora Barlow. Text Image PDF F1497. P The autobiography of Charles Darwin With the original omissions restored. Edited and with appendix and notes by his grand-daughter Nora Barlow. Text Image PDF F1497. P. 85 Page 2 of 63

3 humble contribution to the noble structure of Natural Science QUESTION: HOW OLD WERE YOU WHEN YOU DIED? Fortunately, you are talking to a ghost so I know the answer to this question! I was 73 years old when I died, on April 19, Do you know they buried me in Westminster Abbey, not far from Sir Isaac Newton?! Who would have guessed? 9. QUESTION: IF YOU COULD RELIVE YOUR LIFE, WHAT WOULD YOU DO? I certainly enjoyed being a naturalist and a man of science. However, I have often regretted that I have not done more direct good to my fellow creatures. I can imagine with high satisfaction giving up my whole time to philanthropy. Childhood and education 10. QUESTION: WHERE WERE YOU BORN? I was born in Shrewsbury, England, on the River Severn. If you are unfamiliar with Shrewsbury, it is in the county of Shropshire, which is in the West Midlands of England, about 150 miles northwest of London. 11. QUESTION: DID YOU HAVE BROTHERS AND SISTERS? I had one brother, Erasmus, and four sisters, Marianne, Caroline, Susan, and Emily. I was the second-youngest child. 12. QUESTION: WHAT DID YOU LIKE TO DO AS A CHILD? I spent much of my time outside hunting, fishing and taking long solitary walks. I loved collecting all sorts of things: shells, wax seals, franks (or stamps for those of you in America), coins, and minerals. When indoors, I enjoyed listening to my father's stories about his patients and his medical practice. My brother encouraged me to read, so I quickly picked up that pastime as well. 13. QUESTION: WHERE DID YOU GO TO SCHOOL? My older sisters taught me at an early age. When I was 8, my mother enrolled me in Rev. Case s school at the Unitarian Church, but after my mother died that year I was enrolled in Dr. Samuel Butler s Shrewsbury school, which was a boarding school. It was so close to home, I often ran home to see my family! When I was 16, my father sent me to medical school at Edinburgh University where my brother, Erasmus, was studying. I hated the surgery without anesthesia and all the blood, so I was finally enrolled at Cambridge University where I studied to become an Anglican clergyman The autobiography of Charles Darwin With the original omissions restored. Edited and with appendix and notes by his grand-daughter Nora Barlow. Text Image PDF F1497. P Page 3 of 63

4 14. QUESTION: WHAT WERE YOU LIKE AS A CHILD? I was a very curious young boy. I had strong and diversified tastes, much zeal for whatever interested me, and a keen pleasure in understanding any complex subject or thing. Sometimes my curiosity overtook the rest of my mind. One time I was so absorbed in my thoughts that I fell off a wall while walking on it! I also tried to cause excitement in our household. For instance, I once gathered much valuable fruit from my father's trees and hid them in the shrubbery, and then ran in breathless haste to spread the news that I had discovered a hoard of stolen fruit. 15. QUESTION: WERE YOU A GOOD STUDENT? No, not really! The things that were taught to me as a child often bored me, especially at Dr. Butler s school where it was mainly a classical education: too much Latin, Greek, and history for my taste. I would much rather have been studying natural history, that is, learning about nature, which was not taught to me until my University years. Even when I got to University, I found the course of study to be, again, full of Greek and Latin, most of which I had forgotten by that time. 16. QUESTION: DID YOU PLAY ANY SPORTS? I loved hunting and fishing. I even went so far as to take my rifle with me to Cambridge University and I became a very good shot. When at Cambridge I used to practice throwing up my gun to my shoulder before a [mirror] to see that I threw it up straight. Another and better plan was to get a friend to wave about a lighted candle, and then to fire at it with an empty cartridge, and if the aim was accurate the little puff of air would blow out the candle. The explosion caused a sharp crack, and I was told that the tutor of the college remarked, "What an extraordinary thing it is, Mr. Darwin seems to spend hours in cracking a horse-whip in his room, for I often hear the crack when I pass under his windows QUESTION: WHAT WAS YOUR CHILDHOOD LIKE? I lived in a beautiful country home with my siblings and my parents 8. During the day, I loved to wander through the countryside and our garden 9. My older sisters took care of me and taught me because my mother often fell ill. My mother died when I was only eight, but this only served to strengthen my connection with the rest of my family 10. They The autobiography of Charles Darwin With the original omissions restored. Edited and with appendix and notes by his grand-daughter Nora Barlow. Text Image PDF F1497. P King, David C. Charles Darwin. New York: DK, 2007 p. 8 9 Browne, Janet. Charles Darwin: Voyaging. New York: Knopf, P Browne, Janet. Charles Darwin: Voyaging. New York: Knopf, P Page 4 of 63

5 played such an important role in my childhood that I often ran home from my nearby boarding school to see them QUESTION: WHAT DID YOU DO FOR FUN AS A KID? For fun I would head outside to play and explore, or to hunt and fish. Living in the countryside was wonderful. 19. QUESTION: DID YOU GO TO COLLEGE? Yes. I attended Edinburgh University for two years where I studied medicine, but I didn t like it very much. I moved later to Cambridge University where I studied to become an Anglican clergyman. I received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Cambridge in QUESTION: WHAT DID YOU STUDY IN COLLEGE? At Edinburgh University I studied medicine for two years. I hated the brutal style of medicine I was learning and left for Cambridge University. During the three years which I spent at Cambridge my time was wasted. I attempted mathematics..but I got on very slowly. The work was repugnant to me, chiefly from my not being able to see any meaning in algebra... With respect to Classics I did nothing except attend a few compulsory college lectures.. In order to pass the B.A. examination, it was also necessary to study William Paley's Evidences of Christianity, and his Moral Philosophy..The logic of this book and of his Natural Theology, gave me as much delight as did Euclid. The careful study of these works.. was the only part of the academical course which.. was of the least use to me in the education of my mind...i [also] attended. Professor Henslow's lectures on Botany. Henslow used to take his pupils [on] field excursions.and lectured on the rarer plants and animals which were observed. These excursions were delightful QUESTION: WERE YOU A STUDENT OF PHILOSOPHY? Not formally, no. At Cambridge University, while working to become an Anglican clergyman, I only studied aspects of philosophy that related to religion. For example, I studied Moral Philosophy, which examines the difference between right and wrong. I also read about Natural Theology, a discipline that looks for evidence of God's existence in the harmony of the natural world. I found the study of these two subjects both delightful and 11 Browne, Janet. Charles Darwin: Voyaging. New York: Knopf, P The autobiography of Charles Darwin With the original omissions restored. Edited and with appendix and notes by his grand-daughter Nora Barlow. Text Image PDF F1497. P Page 5 of 63

6 useful QUESTION: WHY DID YOU BECOME A NATURALIST, RATHER THAN A DOCTOR? My father wanted me to become a doctor, like himself, and also my grandfather, my uncle, and my brother, and since I had no other desire, I went to Edinburgh medical school 14 at age 16. But while I was there, I realized that the profession was not suited for me; I hated anatomical dissections 15 and watching operations performed without anesthesia 16. When I switched to Cambridge University, I still had no intention of becoming a naturalist. I studied to become an Anglican clergyman but often found myself attending lectures about science, especially Professor Henslow's lectures on plants 17. Soon I began attending more events in the scientific community. Professor Henslow found me an unpaid position on board the Beagle as a volunteer naturalist 18. It was in fulfilling this position that I realized that my love of science was stronger than my passion for any other subject QUESTION: DID YOU GET A PHD? No, I did not receive a PhD degree. In 1831 I graduated from Cambridge University with a Bachelor of Arts degree. Cambridge awarded me a Master of Arts degree in 1837 and an honorary Doctor of Laws in QUESTION: WHAT DID YOU DO IN COLLEGE WHEN YOU WEREN T IN CLASS? I am afraid I often wasted my time. From my passion for shooting and for hunting, and, for riding across country, I got into a sporting set, including some dissipated low-minded young men. We used often to dine together in the evening,.and we sometimes drank too much, with jolly singing and playing at cards afterwards. I know that I ought to feel ashamed of days and evenings thus spent, but as some of my friends were very pleasant, and we were all in the highest spirits, I cannot help looking back to these times with much pleasure 20. I also tried to appreciate The autobiography of Charles Darwin With the original omissions restored. Edited and with appendix and notes by his grand-daughter Nora Barlow. Text Image PDF F1497. P The autobiography of Charles Darwin With the original omissions restored. Edited and with appendix and notes by his grand-daughter Nora Barlow. Text Image PDF F1497. P Tort, Patrick. Darwin and the Science of Evolution. Trans. Paul G. Bahn. New York: Harry N. Abrams, P The autobiography of Charles Darwin With the original omissions restored. Edited and with appendix and notes by his grand-daughter Nora Barlow. Text Image PDF F1497. P The autobiography of Charles Darwin With the original omissions restored. Edited and with appendix and notes by his grand-daughter Nora Barlow. Text Image PDF F1497. P The autobiography of Charles Darwin With the original omissions restored. Edited and with appendix and notes by his grand-daughter Nora Barlow. Text Image PDF F1497. P The autobiography of Charles Darwin With the original omissions restored. Edited and with appendix and notes by his grand-daughter Nora Barlow. Text Image PDF F1497. P The autobiography of Charles Darwin With the original omissions restored. Edited and with appendix and Page 6 of 63

7 music, although I am tone deaf 21, and I took up beetle collecting with a passion. 25. QUESTION: WERE YOU SMART WHEN YOU WERE A KID? If you mean did I excel in my studies, then the answer is no 22. But as a child I did possess certain qualities that helped me to become a respected naturalist. I was very curious and observant, skills that became very useful to me when I began writing papers full of details about animals, plants, and rocks 23. I also enjoyed reading, which later allowed me to keep up with my colleague's scientific research. 26. QUESTION: WHO WAS YOUR BEST FRIEND? I was great friends with two of my fellow students at Cambridge University: Charles Whitley and John Herbert. Whitley gave me a strong appreciation for the visual arts, and Herbert instilled in me a great love of music 24. Also, Professor Henslow, whose Botany lectures I attended, became a great friend and a strong influence. We often took long walks, and he shared with me his extensive knowledge of botany, chemistry and geology 25. He greatly furthered my career by getting me the post of naturalist on the voyage of the Beagle, which changed my life forever 26. After the voyage, I became acquainted with the botanist Joseph Hooker, who became my greatest friend and confidant QUESTION: DID YOU HAVE ANY HOBBIES? No pursuit at Cambridge was followed with nearly so much eagerness or gave me so much pleasure as collecting beetles. It was the mere passion for collecting, for I did not dissect them, and rarely compared their external characters with published descriptions, but got them named anyhow. I will give a proof of my zeal: one day, on tearing off some old bark, I saw two rare beetles, and seized one in each hand; then I saw a third and new notes by his grand-daughter Nora Barlow. Text Image PDF F1497. P The autobiography of Charles Darwin With the original omissions restored. Edited and with appendix and notes by his grand-daughter Nora Barlow. Text Image PDF F1497. P The autobiography of Charles Darwin With the original omissions restored. Edited and with appendix and notes by his grand-daughter Nora Barlow. Text Image PDF F1497. P The autobiography of Charles Darwin With the original omissions restored. Edited and with appendix and notes by his grand-daughter Nora Barlow. Text Image PDF F1497. P The autobiography of Charles Darwin With the original omissions restored. Edited and with appendix and notes by his grand-daughter Nora Barlow. Text Image PDF F1497. P The autobiography of Charles Darwin With the original omissions restored. Edited and with appendix and notes by his grand-daughter Nora Barlow. Text Image PDF F1497. P The autobiography of Charles Darwin With the original omissions restored. Edited and with appendix and notes by his grand-daughter Nora Barlow. Text Image PDF F1497. P The autobiography of Charles Darwin With the original omissions restored. Edited and with appendix and notes by his grand-daughter Nora Barlow. Text Image PDF F1497. P The autobiography of Charles Darwin With the original omissions restored. Edited and with appendix and notes by his grand-daughter Nora Barlow. Text Image PDF F1497. P. 105 Page 7 of 63

8 kind, which I could not bear to lose, so that I popped the one which I held in my right hand into my mouth. Alas! it ejected some intensely acrid fluid, which burnt my tongue so that I was forced to spit the beetle out, which was lost, as was the third one.." QUESTION: WHAT DID YOUR FATHER DO FOR A LIVING? My father was a physician, like his father before him. He was quite successful, and I enjoyed having him tell me about his cases 29. During the summer before coming to Edinburgh medical school I began attending some of the poor people, chiefly children and women in Shrewsbury: I wrote down as full an account as I could of the cases with all the symptoms, and read them aloud to my father, who suggested further enquiries, and advised me what medicines to give, which I made up myself. At one time I had at least a dozen patients, and I felt a keen interest in the work. My father, who was by far the best judge of character whom I ever knew, declared that I should make a successful physician, meaning by this, one who got many patients. He maintained that the chief element of success was exciting confidence; but what he saw in me which convinced him that I should create confidence I know not QUESTION: WHAT DID YOUR MOTHER DO FOR A LIVING? Do you mean did she work at a profession for money? Of course not, upper middle-class women did not work for wages in my day! 30. QUESTION: WERE YOU RICH OR POOR? I suppose you could say we were well off. Not as rich as royalty, but very comfortable. My father was a very successful physician and my mother, Susannah, was from the Wedgwood Pottery family, which was quite well to do. 31. QUESTION: DID YOU LIKE SCIENCE WHEN YOU WERE GROWING UP? I loved the natural sciences, but I didn't really think of them as such. All I knew was that I loved collecting things, such as beetles 31 and minerals 32, and performing chemistry experiments in the backyard laboratory with my brother Erasmus. When it became known at school that I enjoyed tinkering The autobiography of Charles Darwin With the original omissions restored. Edited and with appendix and notes by his grand-daughter Nora Barlow. Text Image PDF F1497. P The autobiography of Charles Darwin With the original omissions restored. Edited and with appendix and notes by his grand-daughter Nora Barlow. Text Image PDF F1497. P The autobiography of Charles Darwin With the original omissions restored. Edited and with appendix and notes by his grand-daughter Nora Barlow. Text Image PDF F1497. P The autobiography of Charles Darwin With the original omissions restored. Edited and with appendix and notes by his grand-daughter Nora Barlow. Text Image PDF F1497. P The autobiography of Charles Darwin With the original omissions restored. Edited and with appendix and notes by his grand-daughter Nora Barlow. Text Image PDF F1497. P. 23 Page 8 of 63

9 with different elements, my schoolmates nicknamed me "Gas" 33. As I grew older, I realized that both gathering specimens and observing experiments are integral parts of being a scientist. 32. QUESTION: DID YOU EVER TRAVEL TO AMERICA? North America, no, but I spent nearly 5 years all around South America when I sailed on the Beagle with Captain Fitzroy, visiting Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, Peru, and Ecuador s Galapagos Islands. 33. QUESTION: DID YOU HAVE ANY PETS WHEN YOU WERE GROWING UP? When I was younger I had a dog named Spark. He was a mongrel, and his coat was filled with a mixture of black and white 34. Spark, who I called little black nose, always greeted me with his barking when I returned home in the afternoons from Shrewsbury School QUESTION: WHO WERE YOUR ROLE MODELS GROWING UP? My older brother Erasmus was my primary role model. I admired his intellect, his kind heart, and his wit 36. He shared my interest in scientific exploration, and allowed me to assist him in his own investigations in a makeshift backyard chemistry laboratory 37. After he left home for Edinburgh University, I felt honored to be left in charge of this laboratory 38. Voyage of the HMS Beagle 35. QUESTION: WHAT IS THE HMS BEAGLE? HMS Beagle was a small Royal Navy 10-gun brig whose job it was to map the coast of S. America. A brig is a small ship, not the more glorious shipof the line, you see. A brig is useful for missions like mapmaking and surveying, because it can enter small ports and sail in water too shallow for larger ships. The 10-gun brigs were known as coffin-brigs, because of an undeserved reputation of easily sinking in storms. 36. QUESTION: WHY WAS IT CALLED THE BEAGLE? The full name of the ship was the HMS Beagle. HMS means His Majesty s Ship, and is a part of the name because the Beagle belonged to the King of England, who at the time was William IV, the so-called The autobiography of Charles Darwin With the original omissions restored. Edited and with appendix and notes by his grand-daughter Nora Barlow. Text Image PDF F1497. P Browne, Janet. Charles Darwin: Voyaging. New York: Knopf, P Letter 20 Darwin, C. R. to Darwin, C. S., 6 Jan Browne, Janet. Charles Darwin: Voyaging. New York: Knopf, P Browne, Janet. Charles Darwin: Voyaging. New York: Knopf, P Browne, Janet. Charles Darwin: Voyaging. New York: Knopf, P. 32 Page 9 of 63

10 Sailor King. The ship is named after a breed of dog, the beagle 39. Although it is alleged that she carried the figurehead of a beagle, this is not true. 37. QUESTION: WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO TRAVEL AROUND THE WORLD? Well, at the time it certainly was preferable to ordination as an Anglican clergyman, but I had been inspired early on to travel. Early in my schooldays a boy had a copy of the Wonders of the World, which I often read and disputed with other boys I believe this book first gave me a wish to travel in remote countries, which was ultimately fulfilled by the voyage of the Beagle QUESTION: HOW DID YOU GET TO GO ON THE BEAGLE VOYAGE? The young captain of the ship, Robert FitzRoy, wanted a scientificallyinclined traveling companion of his social status to fend off the loneliness that comes with authority 41. You see, captains did not associate with most members of the crew on a social basis and on top of that the original captain of the Beagle, Pringle Stokes, committed suicide because of loneliness on the Beagle s first voyage to S. America. Capt. Fitzroy apparently first asked a close friend to accompany him, and when he declined, a request was passed along to the Cambridge University community. Finally, after several refusals, the offer came down to me through my dear friend Professor Henslow 42. At first my father refused to let me go, but with the help of my Uncle Jos Wedgwood I convinced him. 43 On looking back, it all seems a matter of luck! 39. QUESTION: HOW WAS IT TO LIVE ABOARD THE BEAGLE? I [found] the ship a very comfortable house, with everything [I wanted], and if it was not for sea-sickness the whole world would be sailors. 44 And therein lies the problem. During my voyage I was so often seasick that I spent much of the time lying in a hammock. When I felt seasickness 39 HMS Beagle. Wikipedia. 12 June June < The autobiography of Charles Darwin With the original omissions restored. Edited and with appendix and notes by his grand-daughter Nora Barlow. Text Image PDF F1497. P Browne, Janet and Michael Neve. Introduction. Voyage of the Beagle. By Charles Darwin. New York: Penguin, P Browne, Janet and Michael Neve. Introduction. Voyage of the Beagle. By Charles Darwin. New York: Penguin, P Browne, Janet and Michael Neve. Introduction. Voyage of the Beagle. By Charles Darwin. New York: Penguin, P Letter 203 Darwin, C. R. to Darwin, C. S., 30 Mar 12 Apr 1833 Page 10 of 63

11 coming on, I turned to my roommate Lieutenant Stokes and said, Well Stokes, time to take the horizontal. 45 The pains of my stomach were only redeemed by the glorious view of foreign places afforded by the boat and the wonderful opportunity to examine so many new specimens. 40. QUESTION: DID YOU FEEL CRAMPED LIVING AT SEA? I found to my great surprise that a ship is singularly comfortable for all sorts of work. Everything [being] so close at hand, and being cramped, make[s] one so methodical that in the end I [prospered]. 46 Nevertheless, there was not a lot of room on a brig. [The corner of the cabin, which [was] my private property, [was] most woefully small. I [had] just room to turn around & that is all.] QUESTION: DID YOU GET SEASICK? Yes, all the time. Fortunately, the Beagle stayed in one place making maps for long periods of time so I was on shore quite a bit. You know, I shouldn t be too embarrassed: I am told the great Admiral Nelson got seasick as well so I was in good company! 42. QUESTION: WHERE DID THE BEAGLE GO ON ITS VOYAGE? So many places! In South America the Beagle stopped in Bahia, Rio de Janeiro, Montevideo, the Falkland Islands, Port Desire, Valparaiso, and Callao. We also stopped on many islands: Galapagos, Tahiti, Cocos Keeling, Mauritius, Réunion, St. Helena, Ascension, and the Cape Verdes. And I almost forgot! In Australia we stopped at Sydney, Hobart, and King George Sound. 48 I got to visit temperate, tropical, desert, and island regions all over the world. This opened my eyes to the great diversity of nature as nothing else could. 43. QUESTION: DID YOU MEET ANY INTERESTING PEOPLE ON YOUR TRIP? Oh, yes many. Some memorable ones were the famous Gauchos, or cowboys, of the Argentine Pampas. [They live] a fine healthy life, on horse back all day, eating nothing but meat, & sleeping in a bracing air 49. It was from them that I learned to smoke the little cigarillos that I still enjoy from time to time. Then there were the native Fuegian[s]. These are the native 45 From a letter to The Times by Stokes, following Darwin s death. 46 Letter 203 Darwin, C. R. to Darwin, C. S., 30 Mar 12 Apr Letter 177 Darwin, C. R. to Darwin, S. E., 14 July 7 Aug [1832] 48 Tort, Patrick. Darwin and the Science of Evolution. Trans. Paul G. Bahn. New York: Harry N. Abrams, P Letter 215 Darwin, C. R. to Darwin, C. S., 20 Sept [1833]Letter 259 Page 11 of 63

12 people of Tierra del Fuego, the land at the very southern tip of S. America; an untamed savage is, I really think, one of the most extraordinary spectacles in the world QUESTION: WHERE ARE THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS? The Galapagos Islands are a group of volcanic islands in the Pacific Ocean, right on the Equator, about 600 miles west of the coast of Ecuador. 45. QUESTION: WHAT ARE THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS LIKE? Visual: The Galapagos Islands were formed by volcanoes 51. Because of this, much of the land is very rocky and covered with hardened lava. It can get very hot there, but not as hot as one would expect it to be on land so near to the equator because of cool oceanic currents from the south and west. They often receive little rainfall. There are two environments on the islands. Near sea level, the vegetation is sparse and many plants lose their leaves during the dry season. Above, on some of the islands peaks, the plants are much more vibrant because the low hanging clouds provide the moisture needed for their survival QUESTION: WHAT IS SO SPECIAL ABOUT THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS? These volcanic islands were formed more recently than the continents, so the animals and plants that inhabit the land have only been there for a short period of time 53 From a naturalist s point of view, the islands are very young. The Galapagos seems to be a little world within itself; the greater number of its inhabitants, both vegetable and animal, being found nowhere else QUESTION: WHAT KINDS OF ANIMALS DID YOU SEE WHEN VISITED THE GALAPAGOS? So many kinds, and so unlike any others. Giant tortoises, penguins and other birds, marine and land iguanas, mice, rats, turtles, snakes, seals, crabs. If you want a more extensive list, I encourage you to look at my work The Zoology of the Voyage of the HMS Beagle which, I understand, is still in print. 50 Letter 203 Darwin, C. R. to Darwin, C. S., 30 Mar 12 Apr Tort, Patrick. Darwin and the Science of Evolution. Trans. Paul G. Bahn. New York: Harry N. Abrams, P Darwin CR Beagle Diary P Browne, Janet and Michael Neve. Introduction. Voyage of the Beagle. By Charles Darwin. New York: Penguin, 1989 P Darwin, CR Journal of Researches or Voyage of the Beagle (Journal and remarks) Text Image PDF F10.3 p. 454 Page 12 of 63

13 48. QUESTION: WHY ARE THERE NO SNAKES ON THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS? There are snakes on the Galapagos, but don t worry, they are mostly harmless! The islands do, however, lack many different kinds of animals and plants that are found on other islands and the mainland, which I think needs an explanation. For example, there are no frogs and toads, probably due to the fact that these animals did not migrate from mainland South America to the islands 55. There are no large predatory mammals and no woodpeckers. In other words, the Galapagos have a unique assemblage of plants and animals that I think represent the haphazard way these islands were colonized in the distant past from the S. American mainland. The colonizers then underwent descent with modification to produce the species we see today. 49. QUESTION: WHAT WAS THE MOST FASCINATING THING YOU FOUND ON THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS? Why, that would surely be the marine iguanas. They are most disgusting, clumsy Lizards, sometimes called "imps of darkness" 56. They feed on marine algae. They have unmistakable aquatic habits; yet there is in this respect one strange anomaly; namely, that when frightened they will not enter the water...one day I carried one down to the ocean, and threw it in several times as far as I was able. It invariably returned to the spot where I stood. As soon as it thought the danger was past, it crawled out on the dry rocks, and shuffled away. I several times caught this same lizard, and as often as I threw it in, it returned as before. Perhaps this.. stupidity may be due to the fact that this reptile has no enemy whatever on shore, whereas at sea it must often fall.. prey to the numerous sharks QUESTION: WHEN DID YOU FIRST START STUDYING FINCHES? I first noticed the finches while on the Galapagos Islands, but it wasn t until I returned to London after the Beagle voyage that I truly began to study them and to assemble facts about them for my book, On the Origin of Species 58. In fact, I did not realize I had collected so many different species until my colleague, the ornithologist John Gould, told me about them. He reckons there are more than a dozen different finch species in 55 Darwin, CR Journal of Researches or Voyage of the Beagle (Journal and remarks) Text Image PDF F10.3 p Darwin CR Beagle Diary P Darwin, CR Journal of Researches or Voyage of the Beagle (Journal and remarks) Text Image PDF F10.3 p Browne, Janet and Michael Neve. Introduction. Voyage of the Beagle. By Charles Darwin. New York: Penguin, 1989 P. 22 Page 13 of 63

14 the Galapagos 59 and they are adapted to all different kinds of life styles due to modifications in their beaks. 51. QUESTION: WHY DID YOU NAME THE BLUE-FOOTED BOOBY WHAT YOU DID? I did not give the blue-footed booby its name, but I do know they are named this way because they have blue feet! The booby part of the name comes from the Spanish bobo, which means dunce. These birds look quite silly walking about on land. 52. QUESTION: WAS IT HARD TO COLLECT AND STORE ALL THE ANIMALS FROM YOUR VOYAGE ON THE BEAGLE? I did not see the collection of specimens as a difficult task. Instead, I collected them out of the mere pleasure of investigation 60. But sometimes it was difficult to preserve organisms, and I often feared that they would be destroyed en route to England 61 You know, this happened once to Mr. Wallace, my colleague and co-discoverer of evolution by natural selection. He lost his entire S. American collection, years of work, when the ship that was carrying it burned and sank! I cannot begin to imagine what a catastrophe that was for him. I do admire, however, his going out again to the Dutch East Indies on another trip to collect more specimens, but then Wallace did this for a living and I for fun. I never left Britain again after returning from the Beagle voyage. 53. QUESTION: WHAT WAS YOUR JOB ON THE BEAGLE? I was taken onto the ship as the unpaid companion to Captain FitzRoy and as a volunteer naturalist. My formal job was to keep the Captain company! My avid collecting and detailed journaling led me to become the ship s unofficial naturalist 62 The officers and seamen called me Philos, short for Philosopher QUESTION: WHAT WAS THE MAIN MISSION OF THE BEAGLE? The Beagle was on a surveying voyage to map the southern South 59 Letter 341 Darwin, E. C. to Darwin, C. R., 15 [Jan 1837] The autobiography of Charles Darwin With the original omissions restored. Edited and with appendix and notes by his grand-daughter Nora Barlow. Text Image PDF F1497. P Letter 251 Darwin, C. R. to Henslow, J. S., 24 July & 28 Oct & 7 Nov Tort, Patrick. Darwin and the Science of Evolution. Trans. Paul G. Bahn. New York: Harry N. Abrams, P Letter 212 FitzRoy, Robert to Darwin, C. R., 24 [Aug 1833] Page 14 of 63

15 American coastline for the British government 64. Accurate maps were needed for sailors to find safe harbors, water, and wood. Actually, this was the second trip of this kind for the Beagle, but this one was much more extensive. We visited many countries, from Brazil and Uruguay, to Argentina, Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego, Chile, Peru, the Galapagos Islands, and then other places on the way to and from S. America. 55. QUESTION: HOW LONG DID IT TAKE THE BEAGLE TO GO AROUND THE WORLD? It took the Beagle almost five years to sail around the world, but not all that time was spent sailing. Only a year and nine months were spent out at sea. For the other three years and a few days, the ship was in port and the crew was on land making measurements and observations 65. I was out and about collecting animals, plants, fossils, and making geological observations. 56. QUESTION: WERE YOU STUCK IN THE SHIP THE WHOLE TIME? Not at all! I spent most of my time on land observing the unique attributes of each new place the animals, the plants, and especially the rock formations. You know I thought of myself at this time mostly as a geologist. If I hadn t gone on land at all, I would have had to live through perpetual seasickness QUESTION: DID YOU GET LONELY ON YOUR TRIP? Yes, I got lonely quite often. I found being [seasick] inclines [me] also to be home-sick 67. I missed my family and the scientific community in England 68. I tried to keep these feelings at bay by writing letters to my sisters and to Professor Henslow, but I was still often homesick. 58. QUESTION: HOW WAS THE FOOD ON THE BEAGLE? When I could eat it, it was quite tasty! One night, no more special than the others, I dined on pork and potatoes 69 Eating good dinners [made] me twice as fat and happy 70. But when I was sick, I could only stomach the raisins my 64 Browne, Janet and Michael Neve. Introduction. Voyage of the Beagle. By Charles Darwin. New York: Penguin, P Browne, Janet and Michael Neve. Introduction. Voyage of the Beagle. By Charles Darwin. New York: Penguin, P Browne, Janet and Michael Neve. Introduction. Voyage of the Beagle. By Charles Darwin. New York: Penguin, P Letter 259 Darwin, C. R. to Darwin, C. S., 13 Oct Letter 272 Darwin, C. R. to Henslow, J. S., [10 13] Mar Letter 289 Darwin, C. R. to Darwin, C. S., 27 Dec Letter 286 Darwin, C. R. to Darwin, S. E., 3 [Sept] 1835 Page 15 of 63

16 father sent me QUESTION: WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE STOP ON THE TRIP? I think my favorite place must have been the Brazilian forests. Delight is a weak term to express the feelings of a naturalist who, for the first time, has been wandering by himself in a Brazilian forest. The overwhelming greenery overtook my attention, as did the fact that the forest seemed at once both silent and full of noise. To a person fond of natural history, such a day as this, brings with it a deeper pleasure than he ever can hope again to experience QUESTION: WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE THING TO DO ON THE BEAGLE? Why, to get off it! I absolutely hated being on the boat because seasickness often made me unable to leave my hammock QUESTION: DID YOU FIND ANY FOSSILS ON YOUR TRIP? Yes. I collected many fossil bones and sent them back to England where they were examined by the noted anatomist, Richard Owen 74. For example, I discovered a huge relative of the S. American capybara called Toxodon. Imagine, if you will, a bear-sized rodent! I also collected bones of a large ground sloth called Scelidotherium, and a large extinct armadillo called Glyptodon. I also discovered fossil horse teeth, which Mr. Owen confirmed for me, and this is very curious since the horse was brought to the New World by the Spanish. Could horses have evolved in America? 75 Finding fossil seashells and lowland trees high in the Andes also got me thinking about the upward movement of these mountains. The Beagle voyage exposed me to many things that began to change my preconceived notions of the world. Much of what I saw did not fit neatly into a world specially created as the author of Genesis described. 62. QUESTION: DID YOU READ ANY BOOKS ON YOUR TRIP? Yes, indeed! Captain Fitzroy had a large library on the Beagle. I read for the first time the three volumes of Sir Charles Lyell s Principles of Geology. These books guided the way that I looked at the rock formations 71 Letter 203 Darwin, C. R. to Darwin, C. S., 30 Mar 12 Apr Darwin, CR Journal of Researches or Voyage of the Beagle (Journal and remarks) Text Image PDF F10.3 P Letter 203 Darwin, C. R. to Darwin, C. S., 30 Mar 12 Apr The autobiography of Charles Darwin With the original omissions restored. Edited and with appendix and notes by his grand-daughter Nora Barlow. Text Image PDF F1497. P Browne, Janet. Charles Darwin: Voyaging. New York: Knopf, P Page 16 of 63

17 in the various places the ship stopped 76. Remember, that on the voyage I was more interested in the geology of the places we visited than anything else. 63. QUESTION: HOW MANY PEOPLE WERE ON THE BEAGLE? We started out with around 75 people, including crewmembers and passengers 77. But throughout the voyage people left the Beagle to return to their native lands 78 and others replaced them. Some men were lost to foreign illnesses 79. One man, a Mr. McCormick, was set to be the ship s official naturalist, but he was so offended by my hobby of collecting specimens and by arguing with the captain that he left the Beagle at one of the first ports in Brazil and returned to England 80. After the Beagle 64. QUESTION: WHAT DID YOU DO WHEN YOU GOT BACK FROM THE BEAGLE VOYAGE? The detailed letters that I wrote to Professor Henslow during the voyage generated respect for my work even before I returned to England. So once back, I was able to join scientific organizations, such as the Geological Society, of which I became Secretary. I also began to put together my observations and journal entries from the voyage into books QUESTION: YOU WENT TO DIVINITY SCHOOL. DID YOU EVER GET ORDAINED? Actually, I did not go to divinity school in the strict sense. In order to become ordained in the Church of England, in those days one had to receive a degree from either Cambridge or Oxford universities. I went on the Beagle voyage right after I graduated from Cambridge and after that I became a full-time naturalist. Although I entered Cambridge expecting to be ordained, I never was. 66. QUESTION: WERE YOU MARRIED? Yes, I married my first cousin, Emma Wedgwood on the 29 th of January We were married by our cousin, Reverend John Allen Wedgwood, at St. Peter s Church, Maer, in Staffordshire. Maer Hall was the home of Emma s parents and Staffordshire the home of the Wedgwood Pottery 76 Browne, Janet and Michael Neve. Introduction. Voyage of the Beagle. By Charles Darwin. New York: Penguin, P Browne, Janet and Michael Neve. Introduction. Voyage of the Beagle. By Charles Darwin. New York: Penguin, P Tort, Patrick. Darwin and the Science of Evolution. Trans. Paul G. Bahn. New York: Harry N. Abrams, P Letter 169 Darwin, C. R. to Darwin, E. C., May June [1832] 80 Browne, Janet and Michael Neve. Introduction. Voyage of the Beagle. By Charles Darwin. New York: Penguin, P Tort, Patrick. Darwin and the Science of Evolution. Trans. Paul G. Bahn. New York: Harry N. Abrams, P Page 17 of 63

18 Works. 67. QUESTION: WHY DID YOU MARRY YOUR FIRST COUSIN? My cousins are the Wedgwoods, the famous pottery family. The Darwins and Wedgwoods had been marrying each other for quite awhile and we socialized with them constantly. So, in marrying my first cousin, Emma Wedgwood, I was keeping up the family tradition! I will say, however, that the decision to get married at all was not an easy one for me. I spent hours listing the reasons to get married and the reasons not to and I wrote all this down to compare them. I tried to weigh things like losing the conversation of clever men at clubs and less money for books if I remained unmarried with having children, gaining a constant companion, and having someone to take care of the house if I did marry. Eventually, I decided marriage was worth the chance! I am very glad I did marry Emma: She [was] my greatest blessing QUESTION: DID YOU HAVE TO WORK ON ALL OF THE SPECIMENS YOU COLLECTED ON THE BEAGLE? Fortunately, no. I first placed my specimens in the care of Professor Henslow and then distributed them among leading specialists. The birds went to John Gould, fishes to Leonard Jenyns, living mammals to George Waterhouse, fossil mammals to Richard Owen, minerals to Prof. William Miller, the plants to John Stevens Henslow, and amphibians and reptiles to Thomas Bell 83. I was responsible, however, for editing and publishing all the work which came out over several years as The Zoology of the voyage of HMS Beagle 69. QUESTION: DID YOU HAVE ANY CHILDREN? Yes, I had 10 children, although three of them died in childhood. They were, from oldest to youngest: William, Anne, Mary Eleanor, Henrietta, George, Elizabeth, Francis, Leonard, Horace, and little Charles. 70. QUESTION: WHY DID YOU GROW A LONG BEARD? Actually, the long white beard you are thinking of was my second beard. I grew the first on my Beagle Voyage. As for the second one, my wife, Emma, suggested I grow it, and frankly, I had become bored with shaving, as I am sure any man can tell you who has to shave every day. It was tedious to shave around these mutton-chops! If you must know, I also grew it to cover up a skin problem on my face. I had a problem with eczema, or at least that is what my physicians told me. One wonders about them, however, since they never could diagnose all my other medical problems. My beard caused a bit of confusion at first. I had to The autobiography of Charles Darwin With the original omissions restored. Edited and with appendix and notes by his grand-daughter Nora Barlow. Text Image PDF F Tort, Patrick. Darwin and the Science of Evolution. Trans. Paul G. Bahn. New York: Harry N. Abrams, P. 55 Page 18 of 63

19 reintroduce myself to friends who had not seen me in some time! 71. QUESTION: HOW LONG DID IT TAKE YOUR BEARD TO GROW? I first grew a beard, as did everyone else on the Beagle voyage, when the Beagle sailed south from Montevideo in November But we shaved when we returned to temperate waters in July However, you are probably referring to the big beard I started later in life, in and kept until my death in That means it took almost 20 years to grow! 72. QUESTION: DID YOU HAVE A JOB AFTER THE BEAGLE? If you mean a job where I earned money, or wages, then no, except if you count the sales of my many books on natural history. I made a fair amount from those. I suppose you could say my job was as a professional naturalist. 73. QUESTION: DID YOU EVER OWN A HOUSE? Yes. My wife and I purchased a house in 1842 in the village of Down, just outside London where we had previously been living. Over the years we added significantly to Down House. We put in a large bay widow, added a walking path that I called the Sandwalk, a drawing room, a dining room, etc. You must remember, my wife and I had ten children and I worked at home so we certainly made good use of our new space. 74. QUESTION: DID YOU EVER GET SICK? Unfortunately, yes. I had a variety of ailments that kept me from my work for long periods of time. Beginning in 1838, and for years [afterward] I had [extreme spasmodic daily & nightly flatulence: occasional vomiting,] sometimes [for months. [The ] vomiting [was] preceded by shivering [and] hysterical crying,. [I also had] copious and very palid urine, ringing of [the] ears,. and nervousness when E[mma] [would leave] me..." 87 None of my doctors was able to cure me and I tried many different treatments including Dr. Gully s water cure, homeopathy, clairvoyance, electrical stimulation, and different drugs. The water cure seemed the best treatment, although it was clear that stressful situations caused my symptoms to worsen or even to appear in the first place. I can certainly say I would have had a much worse time if my wife had not been my constant nurse. 75. QUESTION: WHAT IS THE WATER CURE? You don t know the water cure? It was quite fashionable and I highly 84 Letter 177 Darwin, C. R. to Darwin, S. E., 14 July 7 Aug [1832] 85 [Freeman 1978] 86 [letters to William, 4 July 1862, from Mary Butler, before 25 December 1832] 87 [Darwin to Chapman, 1865]. Page 19 of 63

20 recommend it, although some call it quackery. The water cure was given at Malvern by Dr. James Gully. What Dr. Gully did for me was to heat me with a spirit lamp until I was profusely sweating, then I was rubbed with cold wet towels and given cold foot baths. I was on a strict diet and took long walks, during which I drank from the many springs at Malvern. Dr. Gully also gave me homeopathic medicines three times a day, and although I had no faith in them, I took them obediently. All I can say is, this treatment worked for me, even though I knew it was probably all in my head QUESTION: DID YOUR WIFE HELP YOU IN YOUR WORK? Absolutely! Emma helped me in so many ways. She was, of course, my faithful nurse since I was so often sick. She also helped answer my very large correspondence and helped to screen my many visitors. You cannot imagine how many people wanted to visit me at our home at Down House after I published the Origin of Species. It was like some kind of religious pilgrimage. Emma also read and commented on my manuscripts. Sometimes when I was ill she took transcription. I could not have done my work without her, nor would I have wanted to. She was my greatest blessing QUESTION: DID YOUR CHILDREN HELP YOU IN YOUR WORK? Yes, absolutely! Having children around the house where I worked was quite useful and I sent them to do all kinds of things. For example, I used my son, George, to collect moths visiting plants and my son William to do mathematical calculations for me since my math was so atrocious. Frank returned to Down House later in my life to help me run experiments that I could not do. I have also used my children IN my experiments! For example, I made extensive notes on how facial expressions developed in my children and compared these to an Orang-o-tan named Jenny in the London zoo. I will tell you there is a close similarity in the two that must come from a common ancestor of orangutans and humans! 78. QUESTION: WHAT DID YOU STUDY AFTER YOU GOT BACK FROM THE BEAGLE? I studied so many different things! Coral reefs, barnacles, orchids, worms, and glaciers, to name a few. I also continued studying my notes and specimens from the Beagle voyage. I never really stopped studying because my chief enjoyment and sole employment throughout life [was] scientific work; and the excitement from such work [made] me forget my daily discomfort Letter 1234 Darwin, C. R. to Darwin, S. E., [19 Mar The autobiography of Charles Darwin With the original omissions restored. Edited and with appendix and notes by his grand-daughter Nora Barlow. Text Image PDF F The autobiography of Charles Darwin With the original omissions restored. Edited and with appendix and notes by his grand-daughter Nora Barlow. Text Image PDF F1497. P. 115 Page 20 of 63

21 79. QUESTION: WHY DID YOU SPEND SO LONG WORKING ON BARNACLES? I spent eight years working on barnacles which is, your are right, a long time. My friend Joseph Hooker had told me that I would never understand the important concept of variation without pursuing research on a goodsized group of organisms. In Chile I discovered a new barnacle, and studying it gradually led me on to take up the whole group. I only intended to spend several months writing a short paper on my specimen, but wound up devoting eight years to writing four volumes on all the species, living and extinct 91. I guess you could say I got carried away! 80. QUESTION: WHY DID YOU LIKE ORCHIDS SO MUCH? Maybe it is because of a special place near Down House called Orchis Bank. This was a beautiful roadside slope full of flowers, including orchids. I used to visit this special place with my wife Emma on the long walks we would take together. Orchids also offered a nice diversion for study after I wrote the Origin and they also offered some practical insights. After my return from the voyage of the Beagle, I was haunted by questions about how species were modified. I became very interested in plants because I thought that cross-fertilisation between different individuals helped keep the species constant 92. I also discovered that orchids had evolved many adaptations to attract insects to them to aid in what was later called cross-pollination. Some of them are able to shoot a mass of pollen out more than a yard in distance. What an amazing adaptation. 81. QUESTION: DID YOU WRITE A BOOK ABOUT WORMS? Yes, my last book was titled The Formation of Vegetable Mould, Through the Action of Worms, with Observations on Their Habits. I chronicled the role of worms in the formation of vegetable mould, or topsoil, as you might know it. This book of 1881 resulted from research I began in the 1830s, forty years before. Never throw away your notes! Worms have always been favorite creatures of mine. Worms cycle a prodigious amount of earth over time. I also examined worm behavior. Did you know, for example, that worms are deaf? It is true. I performed experiments where I shouted at them, played the bassoon and piano loudly near them, and blew a metal whistle at them. They remained perfectly quiet proving to my mind that they were deaf! They do, however, respond to vibrations in solid objects QUESTION: HOW DID YOU LEARN TO DO RESEARCH? The autobiography of Charles Darwin With the original omissions restored. Edited and with appendix and notes by his grand-daughter Nora Barlow. Text Image PDF F1497. P The autobiography of Charles Darwin With the original omissions restored. Edited and with appendix and notes by his grand-daughter Nora Barlow. Text Image PDF F1497. P Darwin, CR The formation of vegetable mould, through the action of worms. London: John Murray. Page 21 of 63

22 I suppose I followed the examples I saw around me. Charles Lyell, who was a great example to me, collected all facts which bore in any way on Geology, so I did the same with respect to evolution. I gathered information from my readings and from conversations with animal breeders and gardeners 94.The rest of my research, the part that consisted of observing nature, came naturally to me. 83. QUESTION: DID YOUR PARENTS AGREE WITH YOUR DECISION TO GO ON THE BEAGLE VOYAGE? No! My mother of course had passed on years earlier when I was 8. My father had many, many objections to my leaving on such a trip. He thought I should settle down as a clergyman, that I knew nothing of seafaring, that ships were dangerous filthy places, that there was too little time to make a good decision, and that I might not get along with Capt. FitzRoy 95. All of these things were true of course, but I was prepared to take all the risks. Still, my father said that If you can find any man of common sense who advises you to go I will give my consent 96. My uncle Josiah Wedgwood rescued me by writing to my father and giving him 8 good reasons I should go 97. Four months later I was gone and I did not return for five years. 84. QUESTION: DID YOU GET ALONG WITH THE CAPTAIN, ROBERT FITZROY? I think we got along well enough on the voyage, although he had quite a temper. In fact, the officers each day would ask whether much hot coffee has been served out this morning to gauge the state of the captain s temper. Captain Fitzroy gladly joined me on several collecting trips and was present when I discovered my first fossil bones. Afterward, however, and especially after I wrote the Origin, he was very indignant with me for having published such an unorthodox book, for you see, he had become very religious 98. The Origin of Species, evolution, and other ideas 85. QUESTION: WHAT IS THE ORIGIN OF SPECIES ABOUT? The Origin of Species provides evidence to show that species have changed over time and proposes two other things: firstly, that species are related to each other by common descent and secondly that species The autobiography of Charles Darwin With the original omissions restored. Edited and with appendix and notes by his grand-daughter Nora Barlow. Text Image PDF F1497. P Browne, Janet. Charles Darwin: Voyaging. New York: Knopf, P The autobiography of Charles Darwin With the original omissions restored. Edited and with appendix and notes by his grand-daughter Nora Barlow. Text Image PDF F1497. P Browne, Janet. Charles Darwin: Voyaging. New York: Knopf, P The autobiography of Charles Darwin With the original omissions restored. Edited and with appendix and notes by his grand-daughter Nora Barlow. Text Image PDF F1497. Page 22 of 63

23 become adapted to their environments by a process I call natural selection. 86. QUESTION: WHAT IS EVOLUTION? Evolution is descent with modification. By that I mean that species change gradually over time and adapt to their environments by the process of natural selection, which Mr. Wallace and I discovered independently. Species are descended from common ancestors and they are different from those ancestors because, in every generation, not all individuals survive and reproduce. In a population of a species there will always be some individuals that will survive and reproduce better than others. These individuals pass their fit traits onto their offspring so that in the next generation, the population contains more fit individuals than in the last generation. Since this goes on for thousands of generations, species change over time, or evolve, as you say. The end product of this process is a great diversity of species, each adapted to its particular state in nature, more or less related to each other depending on how long in the past each diverged from the other. Alternate version Evolution is descent with modification. By that I mean that species change gradually over time and adapt to their environments by the process of natural selection, which Mr. Wallace and I discovered independently. Species are descended from common ancestors and they are different from those ancestors because, in every generation, not all individuals survive and reproduce. In a population of a species there will always be some individuals that will survive and reproduce better than others. Imagine, for example, a population of moths colored to blend in with the trees on which they rest. Now imagine that those trees change to a dark color because of all the soot produced by the burning of coal, a particular problem here in England. The moths no longer blend into their background and are easy prey for birds. Finally, imagine that some individual moths appear, due to variation, that are dark. These individuals now blend into their dark background, and are more fit under these conditions. The birds can t see them and they remain uneaten. These dark individuals pass their fit traits onto their offspring so that, in the next generation, the population contains more dark individuals than in the last generation. Since this goes on for many generations, the moth species changes over time, or evolves. The end product of this process, going on in all species at all times, is a great diversity of species, each adapted to its particular state in nature, more or less related to each other depending on how long in the past each diverged from the other. 87. QUESTION: WHAT DOES SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST MEAN? Page 23 of 63

24 Survival of the fittest is actually not my phrase at all, but was coined by the English philosopher, Herbert Spencer. He was quite popular, by the way, with some of the wealthier people, like Andrew Carnegie [a Scotsman!]. The phrase survival of the fittest, I think, however, is a useful one. It means that in any species individuals vary in their traits. Those that happen to possess traits or adaptations that allow them to survive best in a given situation, will usually leave the most offspring. Those individuals surviving longest and leaving the most offspring in any generation are the fittest. 88. QUESTION: WHAT IS ADAPTATION? Adaptations are the many features of organisms that allow them to successfully survive and reproduce in a given habitat. For example, many organisms that live in water have gills that allow them to breathe underwater. You can think of an adaptation as something that actually does something useful in an organism. I strongly argued in the Origin of Species that the main source of adaptation was the process I call, natural selection. 89. QUESTION: WHAT IS NATURAL SELECTION? Natural selection is a law of nature that leads to adaptations in all species. It is a law as strong and profound as is gravity. It is important to understand that individuals of every species vary slightly from one another, and that this variation is passed along from parent to offspring. Moreover, we know, as the Rev. Malthus described, that many more offspring are produced in any given generation than can survive. Natural selection leads to the preferential survival and reproduction of individuals that are best adapted to a given environment in any generation. Thus, certain variations are chosen, or selected, by nature over others, just as a human breeder might select for a particular trait in a breed of cattle or pigeon. This preservation of favourable variations and the rejection of injurious variations, I call Natural Selection. 99 Alternate version Natural selection is a law of nature that leads to adaptations in all species. It is a law as strong and profound as is gravity. It is important to understand that individuals of every species vary slightly from one another and that this variation is passed along from parent to offspring. Moreover, we know, as the Rev. Malthus described, that many more offspring are produced in any given generation than can survive. Natural selection leads to the preferential survival and reproduction of individuals that are 99 Darwin, CR On the origin of species by means of natural selection, or the preservation of favoured races in the struggle for life. London: John Murray. 1st ed. Page 24 of 63

25 best adapted to a given environment in any generation. Thus, certain variations are chosen, or selected, by nature over others, just as a human breeder might select for a particular trait in a breed of cattle or pigeon. For example, imagine a population of moths colored to blend in with the trees on which they rest. Now imagine that those trees change to a dark color because of all the soot produced by the burning of coal, a particular problem here in England. The moths no longer blend into their background and are easy prey for birds. Finally, imagine that some individual moths appear, due to variation, that are dark. These individuals now blend into their dark background and are more fit in this new habitat. The birds can t see them and they remain uneaten. These dark individuals pass their fit traits onto their offspring so that in the next generation, the population contains more dark individuals than in the last generation. Since this goes on for many generations, the moth species changes over time, or evolves. This preservation of favourable variations and the rejection of injurious variations, I call Natural Selection QUESTION: WHAT IS ARTIFICIAL SELECTION? Artificial selection is man s counterpart to natural selection and is the basis of selective breeding of plants and animals. Breeders well know that individual domesticated plants and animals vary from one another. This variation is selected by breeders in every generation to improve domestic varieties and can, over time, lead to the formation of new breeds. If we wanted, for example, to create a large breed of dog it would only be necessary to select from each generation the largest males and females and mate them together. If we continue this process for many generations we can produce dogs that are significantly larger than those we started with. Alternate version Artificial selection is man s counterpart to natural selection and is the basis of selective breeding of plants and animals. Breeders well know that individual domesticated plants and animals vary from one another. This variation is selected by breeders in every generation to improve domestic varieties and can, over time, lead to the formation of new breeds. Imagine, for example, that we wanted to create pigeons with crests on their heads. We would begin by examining many male and female pigeons and selecting those that had any kind of slight crest and mate them together. We allow their offspring to grow to adulthood, and then examine the new generation of birds for the crest trait. We would continue 100 Darwin, CR On the origin of species by means of natural selection, or the preservation of favoured races in the struggle for life. London: John Murray. 1st ed. Page 25 of 63

26 to select and mate those individuals together that had the largest crests. If we continue this process for many generations we can produce pigeons that have a beautiful crest. The same process can be used to modify any domesticated species, as long as nature first provides the variation for us to select. 91. QUESTION: DID YOU HAVE ANY OTHER IDEAS TO EXPLAIN SPECIES BEFORE NATURAL SELECTION? At one time I was a strong believer in special creation, in other words, the idea that God had created all species independently at the same time as the Genesis creation stories recount. But, it became clear to me as I gathered evidence from the Beagle voyage and other studies I performed, that the patterns we see in nature were not the result of special creation, but of a natural process. Eventually, I understood that species were related to each other through a long process of descent from common ancestors. 92. QUESTION: WHEN WAS THE ORIGIN OF SPECIES PUBLISHED? My book, whose full title, by the way, is On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or, The Preservation of Favored Races in the Struggle for Life was published on November 24, Six editions eventually were published. The first offering of 1,250 copies sold out on the very first day! 93. QUESTION: WHY DID IT TAKE YOU SO LONG TO PUBLISH YOUR THEORY? Initially I was very unsure about certain aspects of my theory, so I took the time needed in order to fully flesh them out. But I also took a long time because I was anxious to avoid prejudice and other harsh feedback. 101 Others who published about changes in species over time, like the anonymous author of the book Vestiges of the Natural History of Creation, published in 1844, were harshly criticized by both the scientific and religious communities. I felt that I needed to create a very strong case for my ideas before I made them public. Mr. Wallace s letter to me in 1858, in which he outlined his own, independent, ideas for evolution by natural selection, finally forced my hand. I gained much by my delay in publishing, although the Origin of Species is really just an abstract of what I had originally planned QUESTION: HOW LONG DID IT TAKE TO DEVELOP YOUR THEORIES? I began working on what I called the species transmutation problem in July The autobiography of Charles Darwin With the original omissions restored. Edited and with appendix and notes by his grand-daughter Nora Barlow. Text Image PDF F1497. P The autobiography of Charles Darwin With the original omissions restored. Edited and with appendix and notes by his grand-daughter Nora Barlow. Text Image PDF F1497. P. 124 Page 26 of 63

27 of 1837 and kept it up for over twenty years 103. My basic idea was substantially complete by 1838, but I spent the subsequent years gathering more data to support my ideas. By the time I eventually published the Origin in 1859, I could make a very strong case for evolution by natural selection and the idea of common descent. 95. QUESTION: WAS THE ORIGIN OF SPECIES POPULAR? Yes, surprisingly popular! I know my publisher, John Murray, was thrilled! The first printing of the book in November of 1859 was for 1250 copies and they all sold out on the very first day they were offered to booksellers. The book went through six editions and sold many thousands of copies. It was translated into Danish, Dutch, French, German, Hungarian, Italian, Polish, Russian, Spanish, and Swedish during my lifetime, and, I am told, a number of languages since. It is still in print so I guess it is still popular! Have you read it? You really should. 96. QUESTION: DID ANYONE HELP YOU GATHER DATA FOR THE ORIGIN? It would have been impossible to collect all the data for the Origin by myself, although I did much of the observing and reading on my own, much of the reading in German. I wish the Germans would learn to write as clearly as the French! My scientific colleagues and friends helped me by encouraging me to write out and publish my ideas 104. I had about 2000 correspondents over the years who answered questions for me and who kindly provided me with data. The synthesis was mine, but, like all science, many people ultimately contributed. 97. QUESTION: WHAT IS SEXUAL SELECTION? Sexual selection is an idea that I talked about in the Origin and then developed more fully in my book Descent of Man and Selection in Relation to Sex in It helps explain why males and females in many species look and behave differently from one another. Sexual selection is the struggle between the individuals of one sex, generally the males, for the possession of the other sex. The sexual struggle is of two kinds: in the one it is between the individuals of the same sex, generally the males, in order to drive away or kill their rivals, the females remaining passive; while in the other, the struggle is likewise between the individuals of the same sex, in order to excite or charm those of the opposite sex, generally the females, which no longer remain passive, but select the more agreeable partners. 105 Characteristics that allow the males (generally speaking) to mate with more females will be selected for. This is why males are so The autobiography of Charles Darwin With the original omissions restored. Edited and with appendix and notes by his grand-daughter Nora Barlow. Text Image PDF F1497. P The autobiography of Charles Darwin With the original omissions restored. Edited and with appendix and notes by his grand-daughter Nora Barlow. Text Image PDF F1497. P Darwin, CR The descent of man, and selection in relation to sex. London: John Murray. 1st ed. P. 398 Page 27 of 63

28 often different looking and behave differently than females. Alternate version Sexual selection is an idea that I talked about in the Origin and then developed more fully in my book Descent of Man and Selection in Relation to Sex in It helps explain why males and females in many species look and behave differently from one another. Sexual selection is the struggle between the individuals of one sex, generally the males, for the possession of the other sex 106. Imagine a situation where a female bird prefers to mate with males that have long tails. Imagine that, in this population, males vary in the length of their tails. Several males compete for the attention of our female, each with a different length tail. She chooses the one with the longest tail and they produce offspring together. The other males produce no offspring at all. In the next generation, the population of birds will contain males that, on average, have longer tails than in the preceding generation. Thus the population evolves. The males now have longer tails, not because they fly better, but because females prefer them to be that way. Characteristics that allow the males (generally speaking) to mate with more females will be selected for. This is why males are so often different looking and behave differently than females. 98. QUESTION: DID HUMANS EVOLVE? Yes, I think there is abundant evidence to establish this as a scientific fact. There is no reason to believe humans are an exception to the general process of common descent. Humans vary from one another and pass these variations onto their offspring, as do other animals. The human skeleton is based on the same plan as are other mammals. Mr Huxley has a very nice figure in his book Man s Place in Nature that illustrates this. Humans reproduce like other mammals and their embryology is similar. Humans have rudimentary structures, for example our reduced sense of smell, noticeable lack of hair, wisdom teeth, and the presence of a rudimentary tail called the coccyx. Humans are little different in all these regards than any other species we could examine, especially the great apes. Consequently we ought frankly to admit their community of descent: to take any other view, is to admit that our own structure, and that of all the animals around us, is a mere snare laid to entrap our judgment. 107 But that is not all, for my theory makes certain predictions. If I am right, we should find human fossils one day that 106 Darwin, CR The descent of man, and selection in relation to sex. London: John Murray. 1st ed. P Darwin, CR The descent of man, and selection in relation to sex. London: John Murray. 1st ed. P. 45 Page 28 of 63

29 validate my hypothesis. Short version Yes, I think there is no reason to believe humans are an exception to the general process of common descent. Humans vary from one another and pass these variations onto their offspring, as do other animals. The human skeleton is based on the same plan as are other mammals. Humans reproduce like other mammals and their embryology is similar. Humans have rudimentary structures, for example our reduced sense of smell, noticeable lack of hair, wisdom teeth, and the presence of a rudimentary tail called the coccyx. Humans are little different in all these regards than any other species we could examine, especially the great apes. Consequently we ought frankly to admit their community of descent: to take any other view, is to admit that our own structure, and that of all the animals around us, is a mere snare laid to entrap our judgment 108. But that is not all, for my theory makes certain predictions. If I am right, we should find human fossils one day that validate my hypothesis. 99. QUESTION: IF HUMANS EVOLVED FROM MONKEYS WHY ARE MONKEYS STILL HERE? Humans did not evolve directly from monkeys in a straight line in the Lamarckian fashion, but rather share common ancestors with the old world monkeys that clearly unites us all as primates. You must understand that when we talk about evolution we are talking about descent from common ancestors with modification of the descendents. Evolution, therefore, is a genealogical process. Entire groups don t disappear when new ones evolve. For example, fish, one group of which gave rise to amphibians, are still here; likewise, amphibians are still present though they gave rise to reptiles. Reptiles themselves still exist although some undiscovered reptile species gave rise to birds QUESTION: WHAT ARE MISSING LINKS? Missing Links, as you call them, are species that unite earlier forms with later ones. They are probably better called transitional forms. My theory of common descent predicts that we should find such species in the fossil record. For example, living birds have scales on their legs and other features that suggest that they are related in some way to reptiles, which also have scales, and some similar skeletal features. Therefore, if this hypothesis is correct, there should exist fossil birds with feathers and more primitive reptilian features. And do you know what? In 1862, just three 108 Darwin, CR The descent of man, and selection in relation to sex. London: John Murray. 1st ed. P. 45 Page 29 of 63

30 years after I published the Origin, just such a creature was found. The fossil bird Archaeopteryx, found in Bavaria, has feathers like a bird should have. But Archaeopteryx also has a bony tail, claws on its wings, and teeth, things no modern bird has, but all features found in reptiles! I predict that many more of these transitional forms will be found as we learn more about the fossil record. Short version Missing Links, as you call them, are species that unite earlier forms with later ones. They are probably better called transitional forms. My theory of common descent predicts that we should find such species in the fossil record. For example, living birds have scales and other features that suggest that they are related to reptiles, which also have scales and similar skeletal features. Therefore, if this hypothesis is correct, there should exist fossil birds with feathers and primitive reptilian features. And do you know what? In 1862, three years after I published the Origin, just such a creature was found. The fossil bird Archaeopteryx, has feathers like a bird should have. But Archaeopteryx also has a bony tail, claws on its wings, and teeth, things no modern bird has, but all features found in reptiles! I predict that many more of these transitional forms will be found as we learn more about the fossil record QUESTION: WHAT ARE VESTIGIAL STRUCTURES? Vestigial structures, or rudimentary organs as I sometimes call them, are structures that are not well developed in a particular species. These are extremely common in nature. The doctrine of Special Creation, the idea that all species were created independently by the Deity, cannot explain the presence of these structures at all. Why should God provide man, for example, with a rudimentary tail we call the coccyx? Or useless wisdom teeth? These features are easily explained, however, by the idea of common descent which is, at heart, a genealogical idea. Common ancestors give rise to species in a branching pattern. Species that share a common ancestor at some point inherit similar characteristics. All land vertebrates, for example, inherited the same basic body plan and bone structure from an unknown early ancestor. This bone structure has been highly modified over time, with some features being retained in different species, and some being lost or much reduced to a vestigial form. Horses, for example, retain a single toe on each foot. If I am correct, horse fossils will be found that have more than one toe, with more toes on earlier ancestors. Short Version Vestigial structures are structures that are not well developed in a Page 30 of 63

31 particular species. These are extremely common in nature. The doctrine of Special Creation, the idea that all species were created independently by God, cannot explain the presence of these structures. Why should God provide man, for example, with a rudimentary tail called the coccyx? Or useless wisdom teeth? These features are easily explained by the idea of common descent. Common ancestors give rise to species in a branching pattern. Species that share a common ancestor inherit similar characteristics. All land vertebrates, for example, inherited the same basic body plan and bone structure from an unknown early ancestor. This bone structure has been modified over time, with some features being retained in different species, and some being lost or much reduced to a vestigial form. Horses, for example, retain a single toe on each foot. If I am correct, horse fossils will be found that have more than one toe, with more toes on earlier ancestors QUESTION: WHAT IS COMMON DESCENT? When we look at nature, we see organisms that, although not identical, appear similar. The many different species of land vertebrates, for example, are quite different from each other, but still have a basic pattern to their skeletal structure. I think the data show that these similarities are actually real relationships in the genealogical sense, in other words, organisms appear related because they really are. They inherited their characteristics from common ancestors that lived in the distant past, just has you may have inherited your physical characteristics from your parents and grandparents. To my mind, the evolutionary process can best be thought of as descent of different species from common ancestors, modified over time by natural selection. Alternate version When we look at nature, we see organisms that, although not identical, appear similar. The many different species of land vertebrates, for example, are quite different from each other, but still have a basic pattern to their skeletal structure. I think the data show that these similarities are actually real relationships in the genealogical sense, in other words organisms appear related because they really are. They inherited their characteristics from common ancestors that lived in the distant past, just has you may have inherited your physical characteristics from your parents and grandparents. Imagine, if you can, the first land vertebrate, the first amphibian, modified slightly from fishes that had learned to breath and walk. These must have had four limbs, since all land vertebrates, with limited exceptions, have four limbs. These in turn diversified, first into reptiles, and from the reptiles into birds, mammals, and other reptile species. Each of these groups, in turn, diversified into many other species, each passing onto is descendents characteristic traits, like Page 31 of 63

32 feathers in birds, or hair in mammals. To my mind, the evolutionary process can best be thought of as descent of different species from common ancestors, modified over time by natural selection, leading to a great tree of life QUESTION: WHAT ANIMAL MOST TYPIFIED YOUR EVOLUTIONARY THEORY? Perhaps it is the fossil species, Archaeopteryx lithographica, a fossil bird from the Jurrasic limestone of Solnhoffen in Germany that was discovered in This species is just the kind of thing my theory predicts, a transitional form that contains characteristics of modern birds, like feathers, but also primitive characteristics retained from its reptilian ancestors, like teeth, claws on the wings, and a bony tail, things no modern bird possesses. It is like evolution preserved in stone QUESTION: WHAT ARE FOSSILS AND WHY ARE THEY IMPORTANT FOR EVOLUTION? Fossils are incredibly important since they are the indisputable physical evidence of past life and our surest window into understanding creatures that lived in the past. They can also be used to test hypotheses about how evolution is supposed to have happened. For example, I am certain that man is an evolved species. There is much in our anatomy, our development, and our rudimentary organs that tells us that we have evolved from earlier forms. If I am correct, the geological record should contain fossils of human ancestors. Moreover, these fossils should document the appearance of two of the most important human characteristics. A very large brain and upright walking. In fact, [i]t is probable that Africa was formerly inhabited by extinct apes closely allied to the gorilla and chimpanzee; and as these two species are now man's nearest allies, it is somewhat more probable that our early progenitors lived on the African continent than elsewhere 109. If I were an industrious geologist, I would look in Africa for fossils of man s ancestors. Short version Fossils are incredibly important since they are the indisputable physical evidence of past life. They can also be used to test hypotheses about how evolution is supposed to have happened. For example, I am certain that man is an evolved species. There is much in our anatomy, our development, and our rudimentary organs that suggests that we evolved from earlier forms. If I am correct, the geological record will contain fossils of human ancestors. Moreover, these fossils should document the appearance of two important human characteristics. A very large brain and upright walking. In fact, [i]t is probable that Africa was formerly inhabited by extinct apes closely allied to the gorilla and chimpanzee; and 109 Darwin, CR The descent of man, and selection in relation to sex. London: John Murray. 1st ed. P. 199 Page 32 of 63

33 as these two species are now man's nearest allies, it is somewhat more probable that our early progenitors lived on the African continent than elsewhere. If I were an industrious geologist, I would look in Africa for fossils of man s ancestors QUESTION: WHAT IS BIOGEOGRAPHY AND WHY IS IT IMPORTANT FOR EVOLUTION? Biogeography studies the patterns of the distribution of plants and animals on earth. When one looks carefully at these patterns, very interesting things are clear. The first great fact which strikes us is that neither the similarity nor the dissimilarity of the inhabitants of various regions can be accounted for by their climatal and other physical conditions 110. The second pattern is that barriers to movement, like oceans and mountains are closely related to the kinds of species that are present. A third fact is that there is a strong relationship of the kinds of species present on a given continent. For example, [t]he plains near the Straits of Magellan are inhabited by one species of Rhea, or American ostrich, and northward the plains of La Plata by another species of the same genus; and not by a true ostrich or emu, like those found in Africa and Australia under the same latitude 111. Finally, we must take into account the fact that certain plants and animals are able to migrate easier than others. So, why should these patterns exist? The simplest explanation is common descent, not special creation. Short version Biogeography studies the patterns of the distribution of plants and animals on earth. When one looks carefully at these patterns, very interesting things emerge. The first great fact which strikes us is that neither the similarity nor the dissimilarity of the inhabitants of various regions can be accounted for by their climatic conditions. The second pattern is that barriers to movement, like oceans and mountains, are closely related to the kinds of species that are present. A third fact is that there is a strong relationship of the kinds of species present on a given continent. For example, [t]he plains near the Straits of Magellan are inhabited by one species of Rhea, and northward the plains of La Plata by another species of the same genus; and not by a true ostrich or emu, like those found in 110 Darwin, CR On the origin of species by means of natural selection, or the preservation of favoured races in the struggle for life. London: John Murray. 1st ed. P Darwin, CR On the origin of species by means of natural selection, or the preservation of favoured races in the struggle for life. London: John Murray. 1st ed. P. 349 Page 33 of 63

34 Africa and Australia under the same latitude. Finally, certain plants and animals are able to migrate more easily than others. So, why should these patterns exist? The simplest explanation is common descent, not special creation QUESTION: IF EVOLUTION IS JUST RANDOM CHANCE, HOW CAN ANYTHING EVOLVE? Evolution, overall, does involve some chance events, but the very basic process of evolution by natural selection is not random at all. It is true that we do not understand variation and that its appearance seems random, but once variation has occurred, natural selection is able to pick out from that random variation those traits that are favorable and discard those that are not, because favorable traits help individuals survive and reproduce. Evolution by natural selection is, therefore, not a random process at all. Indeed, it is creative and can fashion, so to speak, well-adapted organisms, but not in a predictable way QUESTION: WHAT IS THE TREE OF LIFE? The tree of life is a metaphor for how I believe evolution takes place. You see, evolution is a genealogical process whereby ancestor species give rise to descendent species over great periods of time. We can illustrate that by drawing a treelike figure, the Tree of Life of which you speak. Mr. Haeckel is very fond of producing illustrations like these and I have similar figures in my notebooks and my book, The Origin of Species. At the very tips of this figurative tree are living species. Some species are clustered together in the tree on particular branches and these are related to each other because they share common ancestors in the past. Those ancestors are shown on the tree as nodes, in other words, branching points where a common ancestor gave rise to two or more species. This metaphor is a beautiful one since it unites the themes of diversity, classification, and time into a single figure. It would be wonderful to someday be able to create a tree containing every living thing. Short version The tree of life is a metaphor for how I believe evolution takes place. You see, evolution is a genealogical process whereby ancestor species give rise to descendent species over great periods of time. We can illustrate that by drawing a treelike figure, the Tree of Life of which you speak. At the very tips of this figurative tree are living species. Some species are clustered together in the tree on particular branches and these are related to each other because they share common ancestors in the past. Those ancestors are shown on the tree as nodes, in other words branching points where a common ancestor gave rise to two or more species. This metaphor is a beautiful one since it unites the themes of diversity, classification, and time into a single figure. It would be wonderful to Page 34 of 63

35 someday be able to create a tree containing every living thing. Animation version The tree of life is a metaphor for how I believe evolution takes place. You see, evolution is a genealogical process whereby ancestor species give rise to descendent species over great periods of time. We can illustrate that by drawing a treelike figure, the Tree of Life of which you speak. At the very tips of this figurative tree are living species. Some species are clustered together in the tree on particular branches, for example, man and the chimpanzee. These are related to each other because they share a common ancestor in the past. Ancestors are shown on the tree as nodes, in other words branching points where a common ancestor gave rise to two or more species. Further down in the tree are other nodes. These branch points represent common ancestors that existed even further in the past. These other ancestors unite our little group of species with still other living species, for example, humans, chimpanzees, gorillas, and orangutans. And so on, deeper and deeper into the past. This metaphor is a beautiful one since it unites the themes of diversity, classification, and time into a single figure. It would be wonderful to someday be able to create a tree containing every living thing, a branching tree of life beginning with the original living thing, and diversifying over great periods of time to yield the vast number of living species we see today QUESTION: HOW DO FINCHES RELATE TO EVOLUTION? I think you must be referring to the finches I collected in the Galapagos Islands. I first noticed these birds while on the Galapagos Islands, but it wasn t until I returned to London after the Beagle voyage that I truly began to study them carefully and to assemble facts about them for my book, On the Origin of Species 112. In fact, I did not realize I had collected so many different species until my colleague, the ornithologist John Gould, told me about them 113. He reckons there are more than a dozen different finch species in the Galapagos and they are adapted to all different kinds of life styles due to modifications in their beaks. They are important because the presence of so many different related species in such a small area strongly hints at their history, namely that they all descended from a single common ancestor, which probably came from the S. American mainland and colonized the Galapagos. They are strong proof of descent with modification. 112 Browne, Janet and Michael Neve. Introduction. Voyage of the Beagle. By Charles Darwin. New York: Penguin, P Letter 341 Darwin, E. C. to Darwin, C. R., 15 [Jan 1837] Page 35 of 63

36 109. QUESTION: HOW ARE FAVORABLE TRAITS PASSED ON FROM GENERATION TO GENERATION? A very interesting question indeed. Mr. Lamarck claimed that traits acquired in an individual s lifetime could be passed onto its offspring. I myself have speculated that each cell, tissue, and organ sheds what I call gemmules that collect in the reproductive organs to be passed onto the next generation. I call this idea Pangenesis and discussed it in two of my books Variation of Animals and Plants under Domestication and Descent of Man 114. I will be the first to tell you my hypothesis of pangenesis was much abused. My cousin, Francis Galton, of all people, claimed to have refuted it by performing experiments on rabbits. Sadly, no one, to my knowledge, knows conclusively how inheritance works, although I am certain that when the workings of inheritance are solved it will throw light onto the fine workings of evolution QUESTION: DON T FAVORABLE TRAITS JUST GET DILUTED OUT FROM GENERATION TO GENERATION? This is a very good point and one that was made by Mr. Fleeming Jenkin 115 I admit, I do not know how favorable variation can be kept from disappearing by dilution by other characters over time, except to assert that favorable variation does not seem to disappear. I believe research into inheritance will eventually clear this up once and for all. Our ignorance of these matters is profound QUESTION: WERE ANY OF YOUR IDEAS SHOWN TO BE COMPLETELY WRONG? Yes, of course. Every scientist is sure to be wrong about something! I would not trust anyone, much less a scientist, who could not admit error! I think the best example of my wrongheaded ideas is a paper I published in Philosophical Transactions in 1839 on the structure of a famous geological formation called the Parallel Roads of Glen Roy. The Parallel Roads are in the Scottish Highlands and are a series of ledges that resemble manmade roads. On a trip there in 1838, I managed to convince myself that these ledges were caused by the action of a long-vanished sea. After all, I had seen similar things in S. America. Still, however hard I looked I could find no fossil seashells, but that did not dissuade me and I published my speculations anyway. Shortly afterward, Louis Agassiz proposed that the roads were the remains of the shoreline of an ancient lake caused by an ice dam during the ice age. He was right and I was spectacularly wrong. 114 Darwin, CR The variation of animals and plants under domestication. London: John Murray. 1st ed., 1st issue. P Jenkin, Fleeming [Review of] The origin of species. The North British Review 46 (June): Page 36 of 63

37 My paper was a great failure and I am ashamed of it 116. Short version Yes, of course. Every scientist is sure to be wrong about something! I think the best example of my wrongheaded ideas is a paper I published on the structure of a famous geological formation called the Parallel Roads of Glen Roy. The Parallel Roads are in the Scottish Highlands and are a series of ledges that resemble man-made roads. On a trip there in 1838, I managed to convince myself that these ledges were caused by the action of a long-vanished sea. Still, however hard I looked, I could find no fossil seashells, but that did not dissuade me and I published my speculations anyway. Shortly afterward, Louis Agassiz proposed that the roads were the remains of the shoreline of an ancient lake caused by an ice dam during the ice age. He was right and I was spectacularly wrong. My paper was a great failure and I am ashamed of it. Evolution and the Skeptics 112. QUESTION: WHAT DID OTHER SCIENTISTS THINK ABOUT YOUR IDEAS? My work caused a divide. Some scientists agreed with my ideas, while others rejected them. The tension between these two sides came to a climax during the annual meeting of the British Association for the Advancement of Science in Scientists from both sides of the divide fought over my ideas. Even though my ideas won over the minds of many of those assembled, it did not overtake the minds of all scientific men 117. I will say that one of the greatest compliments ever paid to me was from one of my scientific heroes, Alexander von Humboldt. He wrote to me saying that you have an excellent future ahead of you and that you rank high in my estimation. Words like these removed much of the doubt I had about the value of my work QUESTION: DID ANYBODY ELSE THINK ABOUT EVOLUTION BEFORE YOU? Yes, of course! Fifty years before the publication of the Origin, Jean- Baptiste Lamarck declared that species were directly altered by changes in their environment, but he did not correctly state how the changes came about 118. My own grandfather, Erasmus Darwin (for whom my brother is named), had similar ideas before those of Lamarck. The anonymous author of the book Vestiges of the Natural History of Creation also made The autobiography of Charles Darwin With the original omissions restored. Edited and with appendix and notes by his grand-daughter Nora Barlow. Text Image PDF F Tort, Patrick. Darwin and the Science of Evolution. Trans. Paul G. Bahn. New York: Harry N. Abrams, P Tort, Patrick. Darwin and the Science of Evolution. Trans. Paul G. Bahn. New York: Harry N. Abrams, P Page 37 of 63

38 evolutionary speculations, and that book was published in My theory is different in that it presents the mechanism of Natural Selection as the natural and driving force of evolution. My colleague, Alfred Russel Wallace, thought independently about both Evolution and Natural Selection at nearly the same time as I did! We share credit for the idea, although I was working on it much earlier than he QUESTION: WHAT WAS YOUR INSPIRATION FOR THE THEORY OF EVOLUTION? Mostly, it was observations I made on the Beagle voyage to S. America. While arranging my notes from the Beagle, I happened upon three facts that I felt I needed to explain. First, I was deeply impressed by discovering great fossil animals covered with armour like that on the existing armadillos [in S. America]; secondly, by the manner in which closely allied animals replace one another in proceeding southwards over the Continent [of S. America]; and thirdly, by the South American character of most of the [species] of the Galapagos and more especially by the manner in which they differ slightly on each island It was evident that such facts as these could be explained on the supposition that species gradually become modified; and the subject haunted me QUESTION: WHAT WAS YOUR EUREKA MOMENT? While working through my theory, I continually got stuck on one point. I understood that organisms descended from a common ancestor tend to diverge in character as they become modified, but I did not understand why or how. I can remember the very spot in the road, whilst in my carriage, when to my joy the solution occurred to me. The solution, as I believe, is that the modified offspring tend to become adapted to many and highly diversified places in the economy of nature QUESTION: WHAT SCIENTISTS BEFORE YOU INFLUENCED YOUR CONCLUSIONS? The work of my geologist friend Charles Lyell impacted my work greatly. While on the Beagle voyage I read his work The Principles of Geology. In these three volumes, he presented the idea that changes in the earth s rock formations happened constantly yet gradually. Great changes, like the building of entire mountain ranges, could happen through slow gradual processes. This led me to think of changes in the living world as gradual 119 Tort, Patrick. Darwin and the Science of Evolution. Trans. Paul G. Bahn. New York: Harry N. Abrams, P The autobiography of Charles Darwin With the original omissions restored. Edited and with appendix and notes by his grand-daughter Nora Barlow. Text Image PDF F1497. P The autobiography of Charles Darwin With the original omissions restored. Edited and with appendix and notes by his grand-daughter Nora Barlow. Text Image PDF F1497. P Page 38 of 63

39 as well. His books also introduced me to the theories of another scientist, Jean-Baptiste Lamarck. Lamarck had developed some ideas about the way changes in the environment bring about transformations in animal and plant species. This got me thinking about the concept of evolution QUESTION: WHAT WORKS INFLUENCED AS YOU WERE WORKING ON THE ORIGIN? I think the Rev. Thomas Malthus Essay on the Principle of Population most heavily influenced my work. In his book, he discussed the struggle for existence which everywhere goes on. This idea prompted me to begin thinking about how animals had to compete to survive, an idea that I would later call natural selection 123. Indeed, natural selection is the doctrine of Malthus applied with manifold force to the whole animal and vegetable kingdoms 124. It is interesting to note that the work of Rev. Malthus had exactly the same effect on Mr. Wallace as he developed his similar ideas QUESTION: HOW DID PEOPLE REACT TO THE PUBLICATION OF THE ORIGIN OF SPECIES? Some loved it, and some hated it. For example, my friend Thomas Henry Huxley exclaimed that he was extremely stupid not have thought of that. I received similar praise from many other scientists, including Charles Lyell who was absolutely gloating and Joseph Hooker who claimed to be converted 125. On the other hand I am told, although this may be hearsay, that the wife of the Bishop of Worcester, when learning about my work, exclaimed My dear, descended from the apes! Let us hope it is not true, but if it is, let us pray it will not become generally known. My old Cambridge geology professor, the Rev. Adam Sedgwick, called the Origin utterly false QUESTION: DID YOU HAVE TO DEFEND YOUR WORK IN PUBLIC? Fortunately, not very often. My many friends took up the cause of promoting evolution in public and it is a good thing too. I did not enjoy conflict and I was very often sick and incapacitated by ailments that my doctors had difficulty in diagnosing. Charles Lyell, Joseph Hooker, and 122 Tort, Patrick. Darwin and the Science of Evolution. Trans. Paul G. Bahn. New York: Harry N. Abrams, P The autobiography of Charles Darwin With the original omissions restored. Edited and with appendix and notes by his grand-daughter Nora Barlow. Text Image PDF F1497. P Darwin, CR On the origin of species by means of natural selection, or the preservation of favoured races in the struggle for life. London: John Murray. 1st ed. 125 Life and letters of C. Darwin, VII 126 Letter 2548 Sedgwick, Adam to Darwin, C. R., 24 Nov 1859 Page 39 of 63

40 especially Thomas Henry Huxley, defended evolution in England, the Harvard botanist Asa Gray did so in America, and Ernst Haeckel took my ideas to Germany QUESTION: IS THERE ANY EVIDENCE FOR EVOLUTION? Oh my, where to begin? Yes, of course, there is a great deal of evidence that points to the evolution of species over time. Firstly, there is the similarity in structure between related organisms that shows they descended from common ancestors. Secondly, there is the pattern that one sees in the fossil record of fossil species resembling modern species when they are in recent strata and becoming much stranger the deeper into the strata we go, directly documenting change over time. Indeed, we now have evidence of transitional forms from the fossil record, such as the primitive bird, Archaeopteryx. Thirdly, there is the abundant evidence from the geographical distribution of plants and animals. Why, for example, are all of the native mammals of Australia, except for bats, marsupials? The evidence suggests that their common ancestor was a marsupial itself and that more advanced mammals evolved later elsewhere. There is also the universal fact that the closest relatives to most species are found in close geographical proximity, as if they descended from a common ancestor sharing the same area. The convergence of all these facts, all suggesting that species change over time, is, I believe, what gives my theory its power. Short version Yes, there is a great deal of evidence that points to the evolution of species over time. Firstly, there is the similarity in structure between related organisms that shows they descended from common ancestors. Secondly, there is the pattern that we see in the fossil record that directly documents change over time. Indeed, we now have evidence of transitional forms from the fossil record, such as the primitive bird, Archaeopteryx. Thirdly, there is evidence from the geographical distribution of plants and animals. Why, for example, are all of the native mammals of Australia, except for bats, marsupials? The evidence suggests that their common ancestor was a marsupial and that more advanced mammals evolved later elsewhere. There is also the universal fact that the closest relatives to most species are found in close geographical proximity, as if they descended from a common ancestor sharing the same area. The convergence of all these facts, all suggesting that species change over time, is, I believe, what gives my theory its power QUESTION: HOW CAN SOMETHING LIKE THE EYE EVOLVE? This at first must seem like an insurmountable puzzle, but one must Page 40 of 63

41 remember that my theory predicts that an eye as complex as a camera eye like our own must evolve in many small steps, and not all at once. When we look at the different kinds of eyes present in nature now, we see numerous gradations from a perfect and complex eye to one very imperfect and simple, each grade being useful to its possessor 127. Eyes exist in nature in a series from the simple eye spots of flatworms, to the simple cup-shaped eyes of many worms, to the pin-hole eye of the Nautilus, to the camera eye of advanced vertebrates like ourselves. Thus, we know of a long series of gradations in complexity, each good for its possessor.under changing conditions of life, there is no logical impossibility in the acquirement of any conceivable degree of perfection through natural selection QUESTION: WHY DO WE STILL HAVE DISEASES? Nature has yet to evolve a perfect organism. Until it does, even man will have to struggle to survive like every other species at every other time in the history of life QUESTION: HOW FAST DOES EVOLUTION HAPPEN? I believe evolution happens very gradually. Remember what Linnaeus said: Natura non facit saltus, Nature does not make sudden leaps. Natural selection can act only by very short and slow steps 129. Still, organisms can be modified quickly under certain conditions, especially the kind of artificial selection man uses when he practices selective breeding of plants and animals QUESTION: IS THE EARTH OLD ENOUGH FOR ALL THIS EVOLUTION TO HAVE REALLY HAPPENED? That is a very good question. My idea of species transmutation stresses that species are likely to change gradually, which implies that a lot of time is needed. Geologists like James Hutton, George Cuvier, and my good friend Charles Lyell have shown, beyond a doubt, that the earth is very old. However, the question is how old? William Thompson, Lord Kelvin, has calculated that the earth is probably million years old based on his estimation of how long it would have taken the earth to cool from a molten state. I admit this does not seem like enough time for all the 127 Darwin, CR On the origin of species by means of natural selection, or the preservation of favoured races in the struggle for life. London: John Murray. 1st ed. P Darwin, CR On the origin of species by means of natural selection, or the preservation of favoured races in the struggle for life. London: John Murray. 1st ed. P Darwin, CR On the origin of species by means of natural selection, or the preservation of favoured races in the struggle for life. London: John Murray. 1st ed. P. 471 Page 41 of 63

42 species we see to have evolved. Huxley thinks the assumptions used in Kelvin s calculations are faulty. I think this question is probably an open one at this time and awaits better estimations QUESTION: DO FOSSILS REALLY SHOW THAT EVOLUTION TOOK PLACE? Yes. The fossil record has a clear pattern in it that is best explained if organisms change over long periods of time. It has been known for a long time, at least since the 17th century, that the deeper one goes into geological strata the stranger the fossil species look. Those deeper layers correspond to older strata laid down long ago. In the fossil record we also find species that are intermediate, or transitional, between living forms and even older species. We also find many extinct species. These patterns are best described by descent with modification from ancestors over long periods of time QUESTION: ARE FOSSILS THE RESULT OF NOAH S FLOOD? There is no geological evidence whatsoever of a world-wide flood, as described in the biblical Noah story, therefore the fossils we find in various strata cannot have been produced in this non-existent flood. Clearly, conditions on earth have changed over time. We see this when we see strata change from marine to freshwater, for example. This is common. But this is not evidence of the mythical Biblical Flood. No reputable geologist would affirm any evidence for Noah s flood, even religious ones like my teacher at Cambridge, the Rev. Adam Sedgwick QUESTION: IF EVOLUTION IS HAPPENING ALL THE TIME, WHY CAN T WE SEE IT? Evolution happens gradually. The lifespan of a human being, less than 100 years, is fairly short when compared to the age of the earth. Small changes take time to accumulate and are not visible to most people most of the time, even within their lifetimes. We need to learn to think on larger time scales, which is very difficult for most people QUESTION: WHAT WAS THE BIGGEST PROBLEM YOU FACED DOING YOUR EXPERIMENTS? Why, that would have to be illness! Beginning in May 1838, I began to experience short periods of illness, which interfered with my gathering of data and writing of manuscripts. For example, during [a] visit to Maer in 1839, [I] read a little, was much unwell and scandalously idle. [On] December 24 th, [I] became unwell, and with the exception of two or three days remained so till the 24 th of February [1840]. In this interval [I] read a little for [my] Transmut[ation] theory, but otherwise lost these whole months 130. Such bouts of illness plagued me on and off for the rest of my life and, although I tried many different treatments, I was never cured. 130 Journal 19 recto. Page 42 of 63

43 129. QUESTION: AREN T MOST MUTATIONS HARMFUL? HOW DO THEY HELP A SPECIES REPRODUCE? Hmm, what are mutations? If you mean variations or sports, then yes, some variation, perhaps even most, is harmful. Some, however, is beneficial, and some may do nothing at all. Individuals that have harmful variations are unfortunate and not as fit as others not possessing those traits. We would say that these individuals are selected against so they do not leave as many (or even any) offspring, and thus these harmful variations are lost over time. Favorable variation, however, can be preserved since the individuals possessing them will survive and reproduce, passing that variation onto their offspring. This is the essence of natural selection QUESTION: DID WE REALLY EVOLVE FROM APES? Yes, that is what the evidence suggests. Man is clearly related to the apes. My dear friend, Thomas Huxley, illustrated this very nicely in the figure on the frontispiece of his book, Man s Place in Nature. Our relatives, the apes, are the chimpanzee, the gorilla, and the orangutan. We know this from the abundant data from comparative anatomy between us and them. I think it is most accurate to say that apes and man share a common ancestor from which we are all descended, and that ancestor itself was an ape of some kind. This is why we are so similar looking. Man still bears in his bodily frame the indelible stamp of his lowly origin... We do not know whether man is descended from some small species, [similar to] the chimpanzee, or from [an unknown] one as powerful as the gorilla We should, however, bear in mind that an animal possessing great size, strength, and ferocity, and which, like the gorilla, could defend itself from all enemies, would not perhaps become social Hence it might have been an immense advantage to man to have sprung from some comparatively weak creature 131. Moreover, if I am right, we will certainly find fossils of intermediate species between the living great apes like the Chimpanzee or the Gorilla, and ourselves. That is what my theory predicts. Short version Yes, that is what the evidence suggests. Man is clearly related to the apes. Our relatives are the chimpanzee, gorilla, and orangutan. We know this from the abundant data from comparative anatomy between us and them. It is most accurate to say that apes and man share a common ancestor from which we are all descended, and that that ancestor itself was an ape of some kind. Man still bears in his bodily frame the indelible stamp of his lowly origin... We do not know whether man is descended 131 Darwin, CR The descent of man, and selection in relation to sex. London: John Murray. 1st ed. P. 156 Page 43 of 63

44 from some small species, [similar to] the chimpanzee, or from [an unknown] one as powerful as the gorilla We should, however, bear in mind that an animal possessing great size, strength, and ferocity, and which, like the gorilla, could defend itself from all enemies, would not perhaps become social Hence, it might have been an.. advantage to man to have sprung from some comparatively weak creature 132. Moreover, if I am right, we will certainly find fossils of intermediate species between the living great apes like the Chimpanzee or the Gorilla, and ourselves QUESTION: HOW DOES A BODY KNOW WHEN NEW TRAITS ARE NEEDED? A body cannot know when traits are needed. You are thinking of the ideas of Mr. Lamarck and people like him. Individuals seem, as near as I can tell, to be born with the traits they will have throughout life. New traits do appear, but we are profoundly ignorant about how variation is generated. It is also important to remember that the fossil record is littered with species that are now extinct, that is with species that failed to adapt to their environments. Obviously, their bodies failed to know what new traits were needed, right? 132. QUESTION: WHY CAN SOME ANIMALS LIVE ON BOTH LAND AND WATER? Some animals, like amphibians, have adaptations that allow them to live in two different environments. Usually, however, I have found that these creatures clearly do better in one environment than another. Seals and penguins, for example, are spectacularly adapted for life in the water. They can survive on land, but they are quite awkward there. Evolution does not produce perfect organisms, that is the moral of this story QUESTION: WHAT CAN PIGEONS TELL US ABOUT EVOLUTION? Pigeons are wonderful for understanding evolution! [I have kept every breed which I could purchase or obtain, and have been most kindly favoured with skins from several quarters of the world. The diversity of the breeds is something astonishing 133. Great as the differences are between the breeds of pigeons, I am fully convinced that the common opinion of naturalists is correct, namely, that all have descended from the rock-pigeon, Columba livia 134. The key is man's power of accumulative selection: nature gives successive variations; man adds them up in certain 132 Darwin, CR The descent of man, and selection in relation to sex. London: John Murray. 1st ed. 133 Darwin, CR On the origin of species by means of natural selection, or the preservation of favoured races in the struggle for life. London: John Murray. 1st ed. P Darwin, CR On the origin of species by means of natural selection, or the preservation of favoured races in the struggle for life. London: John Murray. 1st ed. P. 23 Page 44 of 63

45 directions useful to him. In this sense he may be said to make for himself useful breeds, of pigeons or any other domesticated variety 135. This process of artificial selection by man is completely analogous to what goes on in nature through natural selection QUESTION: IS EVOLUTION IMPORTANT FOR SCIENCE TODAY? I certainly hope so! The idea of evolution ties together many different fields of knowledge and offers a unifying vision, like the best scientific theories do. Descent with modification and common ancestry explain adaptation, the relatedness of different groups of species, patterns in the fossil record, vestigial structures in all species, and the distribution of plants and animals on earth. It is difficult for me to imagine that a budding young scientist would not be able to put such a powerful idea to good use. I know I tried to do so in all my work after the Origin of Species QUESTION: DID YOU KNOW THAT YOUR THEORY WOULD BE CONTROVERSIAL? Yes, both scientifically and, of course, among the public at large, especially since my theory directly contradicts the very popular religious idea of the argument from design. I had the outlines of the idea of evolution by natural selection in place by 1838 and produced a fairly good sketch of my ideas on paper in 1842 and a longer essay in Nevertheless, I felt I needed overwhelming proof before I published, which I delayed until QUESTION: DOES THE ENVIRONMENT CAUSE SPECIES TO ADAPT? It seems to me that the environment may cause species to change. Certainly, that is what the anecdotal evidence from breeders suggests. It is also true, however, that natural selection can pick out particular individuals who are lucky enough to have traits that suit them to a particular environment. On the whole, we may conclude that habit, or use and disuse, have, in some cases, played a considerable part in the modification of the constitution and structure; but that the effects have often been largely combined with, and sometimes overmastered by, the natural selection of innate variations QUESTION: HOW CAN BEHAVIOR EVOLVE WITHOUT DIRECT TEACHING BETWEEN GENERATIONS? 135 Darwin, CR On the origin of species by means of natural selection, or the preservation of favoured races in the struggle for life. London: John Murray. 1st ed. P Darwin, CR On the origin of species by means of natural selection, or the preservation of favoured races in the struggle for life. London: John Murray. 1st ed. P Page 45 of 63

46 I think you are referring to instincts, which are unlearned behaviors, then yes, these can evolve. It is clear that certain animals are born with certain behaviors, that these vary both under domestication and in nature, and that they are inherited. These are the properties necessary for descent with modification, or evolution to take place so it appears that behaviors can evolve, like any other trait QUESTION: HOW DO ANIMALS LEARN BEHAVIOR? IS IT ALL GENETIC? Some behavior is learned and some is not. Many behaviors are clearly inborn, especially among the lower animals, like the insects. Higher animals, like mammals, are capable of learning. Man is clearly superior in the ability for learned behavior QUESTION: WHAT ARE THE CLOSEST RELATIVES OF HUMANS? I believe, based on comparisons of anatomy, that the closest living relative of man is either the gorilla or the chimpanzee. We do not know whether man is descended from some small species, like the chimpanzee, or from one as powerful as the gorilla We should, however, bear in mind that an animal possessing great size, strength, and ferocity, and which, like the gorilla, could defend itself from all enemies, would not perhaps become social Hence it might have been an immense advantage to man to have sprung from some comparatively weak creature QUESTION: COULD HUMANS HAVE EVOLVED FROM OTHER ANIMALS, BESIDES MONKEYS? I can speculate that some other sentient species could have evolved in some other lineage, like the birds, but then they would not be human would they? Humans are a derived form of ape, by definition QUESTION: IF HUMANS DESCENDED FROM APES, WHY ARE THERE STILL APES? Man evolved from some ape species, but did not replace all other apes in doing so. You must think of evolution as a branching process, where ancestors give rise to descendents. The result over time can be thought of like a genealogical tree. Man shares common ancestors with the apes that clearly unite us all as primates. Entire groups don t disappear when new ones evolve. For example, fish, one group of which gave rise to amphibians, are still here; likewise, amphibians, reptiles, and mammals haven t disappeared. It is the same with the apes. Some species gave rise to humans, but other ape species evolved separately from us QUESTION: HAS EVOLUTION EVER BEEN PROVEN? It depends on what you mean by proven. If you are looking for 137 Darwin, CR The descent of man, and selection in relation to sex. London: John Murray. 1st ed. P. 156 Page 46 of 63

47 metaphysical certainty, then no. But metaphysical certainty is not what science produces. I spent 20 years gathering evidence to show that many different observations about nature could be tied together by the idea of descent with modification, or evolution as it is better known. Some of these facts are adaptation, the relatedness of different groups of species, patterns in the fossil record, vestigial structures in all species, and the distribution of plants and animals on earth. All these data point to the inescapable conclusion that species have changed over time. So, yes, I believe that evolution has been proven. But please understand, and I must stress this point, science is not a belief system: if my ideas about evolution are true they will have to stand up to further scrutiny in the future as do all scientific ideas. The science of evolution is not revealed religion QUESTION: WHAT QUESTIONS ARE LEFT UNANSWERED IN YOUR MIND? There are always outstanding questions in science. Indeed, the more one learns, the more questions there are! For myself, I would love to understand where variation comes from, how heredity works, and the specific way in which man evolved QUESTION: ARE WE STILL EVOLVING? I do not see why not. There is still a struggle for existence, even in the human species QUESTION: WHAT EXAMPLES EXIST TO DISPROVE YOUR THEORY? I have an entire chapter of the Origin of Species that I devote to the difficulties with my theory. Here are just a few: we do not know how variation arises, we do not know how inheritance takes place, we do not know the precise age of the earth, and the fossil record is terribly poor, especially when it comes to the presence of the transitional forms my theory predicts will be there. Still, evolution by natural selection can explain so many facts, it seems likely that at least some of it is accurate QUESTION: WHAT ARE THE MOST AND LEAST FIT SPECIES IN HISTORY? Both questions are easy to answer. All those species that have become extinct are the least fit! And, I suppose that likewise you could say that all those still living are the most fit! 147. QUESTION: HOW WOULD YOU IMPROVE YOUR THEORY? If I could, I would discover how variation is created and how that variation is actually passed on from parent to offspring. We are profoundly ignorant of both of these phenomena QUESTION: WHY ARE THERE SO MANY DIFFERENT TYPES OF CREATURES ON OUR PLANET? Descent with modification from one or a few early types of living things over long periods of time has led to a remarkable proliferation of species. Page 47 of 63

48 It is truly wonderous. Life as a Gentleman Scientist 149. QUESTION: DID YOU PUBLISH ANYTHING AFTER THE ORIGIN OF SPECIES? Yes! To name a few: On the Various Contrivances by Which British and Foreign Orchids Are Fertilised by Insects, and on the Good Effects of Intercrossing in 1862, The Movement and Habits of Climbing Plants in 1865, The Variation of Animals and Plants under Domestication in 1868, The Descent of Man, and Selection in Relation to Sex in 1871, The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals in 1872, The Effects of Cross and Self Fertilisation in the Vegetable Kingdom in 1876, and The Formation of Vegetable Mould, Through the Action of Worms, with Observations on Their Habits in All of these books dealt with evolution by natural selection. During this time I also published a number of scientific papers QUESTION: WHAT DID YOU DO WITH ALL OF YOUR TIME IF YOU DIDN T HAVE A JOB? I worked! Even though I did not have a formal job, I spent much of my time laboring over my notes, experiments, letters, and manuscripts. I attended meetings of several British scientific organizations and I published more than ten books and many short articles. When not performing science, I liked billiards and bought myself a fine billiard table. I was also active in and around Down village as much as I could be. I was asked to serve as magistrate from time to time. I was treasurer for the Coal and Clothing Club for over twenty years, and I established the Downe Friendly Society. I was a founding trustee of the Bromley Savings Bank. I had investments that I attended to as well, like the Mid-Kent Railways Company and the South Eastern Railway 139. I was also on the committee that administered the parish school. I was kept pretty busy overall QUESTION: DID YOU DO ANYTHING BESIDES SCIENCE? My later life was interspersed with non-scientific activities. Until my thirties I enjoyed reading poetry, and later in life I found novels to be a wonderful relief and pleasure to me 140. I liked especially to have novels read out loud to me while I smoked my cigarette on the sofa, although sometimes I fell asleep and missed what was read! My family also afforded time away from science, and we traveled regularly to London and elsewhere. I communicated with absent relatives through extensive letter writing. 138 King, David C. Charles Darwin. New York: DK, P Browne, Janet. Charles Darwin: The Power of Place The autobiography of Charles Darwin With the original omissions restored. Edited and with appendix and notes by his grand-daughter Nora Barlow. Text Image PDF F1497. P. 138 Page 48 of 63

49 152. QUESTION: HAVE YOU MADE ANY TRAVELS UNRELATED TO BIOLOGY? When I was in university, I took a backpacking trip with two friends through North Wales during a summer vacation. I also went with my sister Caroline [on] a riding tour in North Wales 141, and to Paris with my uncle Josiah Wedgwood and some Wedgwood cousins. None of these other travels were as long or as extensive as my Beagle voyage. After such extreme seasickness, I could never imagine undertaking such a voyage again, although the year after my return I took a boat from London to Scotland QUESTION: DID YOUR WIFE SUPPORT YOUR EVOLUTION WORK? My wife knew for a long time about my views on evolution. She came to accept them as part of her married life, although I know they troubled her at times. She was concerned that my work caused me to doubt my previous religious faith, a faith that was very strong with her. She once told me, however, that honest & conscientious doubts cannot be a sin 142. Even with all that concern, she read and commented on my manuscripts, took dictation when I could not write because of illness, and fully supported me in my work. She was my greatest blessing QUESTION: DID YOUR CHILDREN SUPPORT YOUR EVOLUTION WORK? Yes. My children actively helped me in my research. For example, I used my son, George, to collect moths visiting plants and my son William to do mathematical calculations for me. Francis returned to Down House later in my life to help me run experiments I could not perform. Francis in particular was cross at me for not spending the money on the extravagant German equipment he himself was used to for performing experiments. Perfectly good science can be done without fancy gadgets. I got by fine with my greenhouse, my garden, my two good eyes, and the brain between my ears QUESTION: DID YOUR FRIENDS SUPPORT YOUR EVOLUTION WORK? Yes, they certainly did. Before I published the Origin of Species, several of my good friends, like the American botanist Asa Gray, the geologist Charles Lyell, the botanist Joseph Hooker, and my old teacher, John The autobiography of Charles Darwin With the original omissions restored. Edited and with appendix and notes by his grand-daughter Nora Barlow. Text Image PDF F1497. P Letter 441 Wedgwood, Emma (Darwin, Emma) to Darwin, C. R., [21 22 Nov 1838] The autobiography of Charles Darwin With the original omissions restored. Edited and with appendix and notes by his grand-daughter Nora Barlow. Text Image PDF F1497. Page 49 of 63

50 Stevens Henslow supported me, gave me encouragement, and even shared data with me. After I published, others defended my work in public, especially Thomas Henry Huxley QUESTION: WERE YOU HONORED AT ALL FOR YOUR WORK ON EVOLUTION? Yes, I received many honors through my life. I won the Royal Medal in 1853, the Wollaston Medal in 1859 for my Geological work, and the Copley Medal, the highest honor bestowed by the Royal Society, in I received several honorary degrees from European universities and numerous honorary memberships in scientific societies around the world QUESTION: WHAT IS THE BOOK THAT YOU PUBLISHED THAT YOU LIKE THE MOST? In 1845, I took much pains in correcting a new edition of my Journal of Researches, which was originally published in 1839 as part of [Capt] Fitz- Roy's work [about the Beagle voyage]. The success of this, my first literary child, always tickle[d] my vanity more than that of any of my other books. Even to this day it sells steadily in England and the United States, and has been translated for the second time into German, and into French and other languages. This success of a book of travels, especially of a scientific one, so many years after its first publication, is surprising. Ten thousand copies have now been sold in England of the second edition 144. I understand that the book is now known as The Voyage of the Beagle QUESTION: WHAT ADVICE CAN YOU GIVE TO A SCIENTIST TODAY? I think perhaps a quote by my friend Thomas Huxley is useful here: Sit down before fact as a little child, be prepared to give up every conceived notion, follow humbly wherever and whatever abysses nature leads, or you will learn nothing. So, keep and open mind, and be prepared to work very hard. Sharing data helps, too. The Origin and my other books could not have been written without the data others shared with me QUESTION: DID YOUR RESEARCH AFFECT YOUR FAMILY LIFE? I worked at home at Down House, so I was not away much. My research was a family activity, with children helping me in many ways with my studies. My wife also aided me extensively. I suppose you could say my research was a family affair! 160. QUESTION: WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT INTELLIGENT DESIGN? I don t know that term, precisely. If you mean the old natural theology idea called the Argument from Design, then I know it very well. I studied it at Cambridge when I was young since Natural Theology was part of my The autobiography of Charles Darwin With the original omissions restored. Edited and with appendix and notes by his grand-daughter Nora Barlow. Text Image PDF F1497. P. 116 Page 50 of 63

51 studies to become an Anglican clergyman, especially William Paley s book Natural Theology. I was deeply impressed with Paley at the time. However, my own studies led me to firmly reject the idea that God directly designed organisms or their parts. The old argument of design in nature, as given by Paley, which formerly seemed to me so conclusive, fails, now that the law of natural selection has been discovered QUESTION: WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT YOUNG EARTH CREATIONISM? I don t know the term precisely. I assume you are referring to a belief in special creation, meaning that each and every species was created at the same time as depicted in the Genesis creations stories. By young earth I assume you refer to the chronology worked out by people like Bishop Ussher in the 17 th century, namely that the earth is somewhere on the order of 6000 years old as derived from Biblical genealogies. I think there are three things that can be said of such views. Firstly, we know the earth is very old. Hutton, Lyell, Cuvier, and other geologists have documented an enormous number of facts to demonstrate this point, facts that are completely at odds with a 6,000 year date for the age of the earth. Secondly, there is a movement even among some theologians to finally realize that the Genesis accounts of creation are not scientifically correct. Just four months after the publication of the Origin, seven Anglican clergyman published the now famous Essays and Reviews stating as much 146. Finally, there is abundant evidence that species are related to each other by descent from common ancestors, evidence like similar physical structure, similar embryology, patterns in the fossil record, etc. To deny these facts seems, to me, perverse. Short version I assume you are referring to the belief in special creation, meaning that every species was created at the same time as depicted in the Genesis creation stories. By young earth I assume you refer to the belief that the earth is somewhere on the order of 6000 years old as derived from Biblical genealogies. I think there are three things that can be said of such views. Firstly, we know the earth is very old. Geologists have compiled an enormous number of facts to demonstrate this point. Secondly, even some theologians realize that the Genesis accounts of creation are not scientifically correct. For example, seven Anglican clergyman published The autobiography of Charles Darwin With the original omissions restored. Edited and with appendix and notes by his grand-daughter Nora Barlow. Text Image PDF F1497. P Temple, F., Powell, B., et al Essays and Reviews. Page 51 of 63

52 the now famous Essays and Reviews in 1860 stating as much. Finally, there is abundant evidence that species are related to each other by descent from common ancestors, including similar physical structure, similar embryology, patterns in the fossil record, etc. To deny these facts seems, to me, perverse QUESTION: WHAT DO YOU THINK OF CREATIONISTS? If by creationist you mean someone that believes that all species were created independently as described in the Genesis creation stories, then all I can say is that these people must not be familiar with the scientific evidence that shows species are related to one another by common descent, like similar physical structure, similar embryology, patterns in the fossil record, etc. These facts cannot be explained by the doctrine of special creation QUESTION: WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE ANIMAL TO STUDY? Although I wrote about man more than any other animal, my favorite species for study was probably the lowly earthworm. When we behold a wide, turf-covered expanse, we should remember that its smoothness, on which so much of its beauty depends, is mainly due to all the inequalities having been slowly leveled by worms. It is a marvelous reflection that the [entire surface of] any such expanse has passed, and will again pass, every few years through the bodies of worms. The plough is one of the most ancient and most valuable of mans inventions; but long before [the plough] existed the land was in fact regularly ploughed, and still continues to be thus ploughed, by earth-worms. It may be doubted whether there are many other animals which have played so important a part in the history of the world, as have these lowly organized creatures QUESTION: IS THERE ANYTHING YOU DIDN T PUBLISH IN YOUR BOOKS? I have many notebooks full of observations that I have not published. Some I haven t had time to publish, and others are private speculations that I hope will never see the light of day! 165. QUESTION: WHAT DO YOU SAY TO PEOPLE WHO DO NOT BELIEVE IN YOUR THEORY? I would hope that they would take the time to actually learn about my ideas and remember that science is not a question of belief, but one of weighing evidence as dispassionately as one can in order to formulate hypotheses and theories QUESTION: WHAT DID YOU DO FOR FUN? When I was a young man, I enjoyed beetle collecting, socializing with friends, and hunting. Travelling around the world on the Beagle was 147 Darwin, CR The formation of vegetable mould, through the action of worms. London: John Murray. P. 313 Page 52 of 63

53 tremendous fun. As an older man, I enjoyed the company of my family and my researches, as well as a good pinch of snuff, an occasional cigarette (I learned to smoke them when I was with the gauchos in Patagonia), a friendly game of billiards, and two games of backgammon every evening with Emma. She threaten[ed] me sometimes if I triumph[ed] too much 148. Do you know I kept track of our games for years and even went so far as to report the score once to Asa Gray. I told him the tally with my wife in backgammon stands thus: She, poor creature, has won only 2490 games, whilst I have won, hurrah, hurrah, 2795 games! 149. I confess I hated to lose almost as much as I loved to record details! 167. QUESTION: DID YOU HAVE A FUN SOCIAL LIFE OR WERE YOU CONSUMED BY YOUR STUDIES? I was pretty much a home-body, especially later in life. World traveler to home-body, who would have guessed? We did not go out much, except to travel, and most of that was to visit nearby relatives or to destinations for my health. Emma sometimes traveled by herself or with the children. I sometimes dined out with friends and I enjoyed that, although I did it seldom. I also had a pretty constant stream of visitors to Down House after the Origin of Species was published. I was content. Darwin and Religion and Controversy 168. QUESTION: DO YOU BELIEVE IN GOD? My own views on this subject are of really no consequence to any one except myself. But, since you ask, I think the best way to put it is that my views of God changed over my lifetime. As a young man, I did not in the least doubt the strict and literal truth of every word in the Bible 150 and was perfectly happy to confess the 39 Articles of the Church of England. Since then, however, it has become clear to me that the Bible is subject to interpretation and is not literally true, and so my views on God changed as well. My wife, Emma, and I discussed this many times and I also did so with our local clergyman, Rev Brodie-Innes. As far as a belief in God my judgment often fluctuates.. My mind is, frankly, not set.. I have never been an atheist in the sense of denying the existence of a God. I think that generally but not always, that an agnostic would be the most 148 Letter 9480 Darwin, C. R. to Gray, Asa, 3 June [1874] 149 Letter Darwin, C. R. to Gray, Asa, 28 Jan The autobiography of Charles Darwin With the original omissions restored. Edited and with appendix and notes by his grand-daughter Nora Barlow. Text Image PDF F1497. P. 49 Page 53 of 63

54 correct description of my state of mind 151. For me it was a matter of weighing the evidence, a kind of constant active inquiry, much like the Apostle Thomas, I should think! Short version My views of God changed over my lifetime. As a young man, I did not in the least doubt the strict and literal truth of every word in the Bible 152 and was happy to confess the 39 Articles of the Church of England. Since then, however, it has become clear to me that the Bible is not literally true, and so my views on God changed as well. As far as a belief in God my judgment often fluctuates.. My mind is, frankly, not set.. I have never been an atheist in the sense of denying the existence of a God. I think that generally but not always, that an agnostic would be the most correct description of my state of mind 153. For me it was a matter of weighing the evidence, a kind of constant active inquiry, much like the Apostle Thomas, I should think! 169. QUESTION: IS YOUR FAMILY RELIGIOUS? My father s family was Anglican and my mother s Unitarian. My wife is Unitarian and we, for years, attended St. Mary s Anglican Church in Downe, although Emma did make the family turn around at the recitation of the creed. You see, St. Mary s congregation, being Anglican, is Trinitarian while Emma is unitarian. My grandfather, Erasmus, was a notorious freethinker, even going so far as to call Unitarianism a featherbed to catch a falling Christian. I suppose you could say there is a variety of religious beliefs in my family, just as there is across Britain and in America, or so I hear QUESTION: WHAT IS YOUR RELIGION? I do not belong to any organized religious group, although, when young, I studied to be an Anglican clergyman at Cambridge University. I think the best description for me is one my friend Thomas Huxley coined: I am an agnostic. I am constantly weighing the evidence and cannot by nature rely only on revealed religion. 151 Letter Darwin, C. R. to Fordyce, John, 7 May The autobiography of Charles Darwin With the original omissions restored. Edited and with appendix and notes by his grand-daughter Nora Barlow. Text Image PDF F1497. P Letter Darwin, C. R. to Fordyce, John, 7 May Darwin Correspondence Project, Darwin and Religion: Historical Essay Page 54 of 63

55 171. QUESTION: WERE PEOPLE MAD AT YOU FOR PUBLISHING THE ORIGIN OF SPECIES? Yes, but I had anticipated this. Many people were offended at the implications of my ideas for the evolution of living things, especially of man. Many, many newspapers and magazines portrayed me as a hairy ape! I made a nice collection of these clippings for myself in a scrapbook to amuse myself. Some of my scientific peers, like Louis Agassiz, considered my transmutation theory a scientific mistake, untrue in facts, unscientific in its methods, and mischievous in its tendency 155. Others thought evolution was sound, but that natural selection was rank speculation and could never work the way I had proposed. Still others supported me fully. A mixed reaction! 172. QUESTION: DID YOU EVER GET HATE MAIL? If by hate mail you mean that someone has written to claim that I will go to hell because of my acceptance of evolution by natural selection, no! Rarely, someone wrote saying that they were concerned about my salvation or my religious beliefs. An occasional letter quoted scripture to try to convince me that my writings on evolution were incorrect. However, many of those who wrote to me about science and religion, including over 200 clergymen, found ways of reconciling their beliefs with an evolutionary view of nature 156. That is not to say that no one ever published that I was going to hell! 173. QUESTION: DOES EVOLUTION EXPLAIN EVERYTHING ABOUT HOW MANKIND CAME TO BE? I think that evolution offers an adequate explanation as to how humans physically changed over time and came to their present state. However, humans have culture and reason, which undoubtedly has shaped us over time, to a degree that is not entirely clear at the present. I think science will eventually work this out. It has often and confidently been asserted, that man's origin can never be known: but ignorance more frequently begets confidence than does knowledge: it is those who know little, and not those who know much, who so positively assert that this or that problem will never be solved by science QUESTION: WHO WERE YOUR HARSHEST CRITICS? I hope I was my own harshest critic. I was very careful to lay out not only 155 Agassiz, L Professor Agassiz on the Origin of Species, American Journal of Science 30 (June 1860) 156 Darwin Correspondence Project, Darwin and Religion: Historical Essay 157 Darwin, CR The descent of man, and selection in relation to sex. London: John Murray. 1st ed. P. 16 Page 55 of 63

56 the strengths of my ideas, but also their weaknesses, for all to see. Indeed, I devoted an entire chapter of the Origin of Species to what I called Problems with theory. I was not generally shy about pointing out the weaknesses in my own arguments. Wallace disliked this and urged me to stop doing it fearing that I gave ammunition to my enemies. I think it helped keep me from wishful thinking and it is a habit I would recommend to anyone QUESTION: HOW DID IT FEEL WHEN PEOPLE DIDN T BELIEVE YOUR THEORY? It was to be expected. Although the idea of evolution, that species have changed through time, was not completely new, my mechanism of natural selection certainly was. It has sometimes been said that the success of the Origin proved "that the subject was in the air," or "that men's minds were prepared for it." I do not think that this is strictly true, for I occasionally [questioned fellow] naturalists, and never happened to come across a single one who seemed to doubt about the permanence of species. I have almost always been treated honestly by my reviewers, passing over those without scientific knowledge as not worthy of notice. My views have often been grossly misrepresented, bitterly opposed and ridiculed, but this has been generally done, as I believe, in good faith QUESTION: HOW DID YOU RESPOND TO CRITICISM? If it was scientific criticism, I did it with reason and facts, mostly in my books. For example, the Origin of Species went through 6 editions and I added material in the later editions to respond to criticism. Sometimes I wrote entirely new books introducing new ideas. I outlined my ideas on heredity, for example, in my book entitled The Variation of Animals and Plants Under Domestication. Personal criticism, if libelous as it sometimes is toward me, can be dealt with through the law! 177. QUESTION: CAN YOU BELIEVE IN GOD AND EVOLUTION? I do not see why not. It seems to me absurd to doubt that a man may be an ardent Theist and an evolutionist at the same time 159. Although I myself am an agnostic, there are many prominent advocates of evolution who are religious believers. My dear friend Asa Gray, the noted Harvard botanist, was a very committed religious believer and also the chief proponent of evolution in America. In addition, many clergyman wrote to me expressing similar feelings. For example, the Rev. Francis Abbot of Toledo, Ohio once wrote to me saying that my theory contain[ed] nothing The autobiography of Charles Darwin With the original omissions restored. Edited and with appendix and notes by his grand-daughter Nora Barlow. Text Image PDF F1497. P , Letter Darwin, C. R. to Fordyce, John, 7 May 1879 Page 56 of 63

57 inconsistent with the most deep and tender religious feeling QUESTION: DID RELIGION OR ETHICS HAVE ANY INFLUENCE ON YOUR THEORY? My ideas about nature are not religious, but scientific. I have endeavored to provide a natural mechanism to describe how species change over time and how they become adapted to their environments. Still, if I had to name one religious influence it would probably have to be the work of the Rev. Paley. His book, Natural Theology, was one of my favorites at university and provided wonderful descriptions of the adaptations of different species. Still, my idea of evolution by natural selection gives a better interpretation of Rev. Paley s data, and other data besides! 179. QUESTION: DO ANY CHURCHES THINK EVOLUTION IS A SCIENTIFIC FACT? I do not believe that any church has made a formal statement on evolution. Indeed, I think that most organized religion is positively hostile to the idea of evolution, especially with regard to the evolution of man. Let me give you an example. The Church of England reacted very poorly to those of its theologians who tried to break new ground using my work and modern methods of scriptural interpretation. In 1860, seven Anglican theologians published the book Essays and Reviews that dealt, in part, with my work. I was very pleased to see the Rev. Baden-Powell write that the Origin of Species was a work which must soon bring about an entire revolution of opinion in favour of the grand principle of the self-evolving powers of nature. 161 Can you believe that two of the authors of Essays and Reviews were tried for heresy? They were acquitted later but, really, how ridiculous!! Even if organized religion is hostile to my ideas, I know there are plenty of individual religious believers who think evolution is a scientific fact and do not seem troubled at all by these ideas. Short version I think that most organized religions are hostile to the idea of evolution, especially with regard to the evolution of man. Let me give you an example. The Church of England was very harsh to several of its theologians who tried to break new ground using my work and modern methods of scriptural interpretation. In 1860, seven Anglican theologians published the book Essays and Reviews that dealt, in part, with evolution. 160 Letter 7912 Abbot, F. E. to Darwin, C. R., 20 Aug Temple, F., Powell, B., et al Essays and Reviews. Page 57 of 63

58 I was pleased to see the Rev. Baden-Powell write that the Origin of Species was a work which must soon bring about an entire revolution of opinion in favour of the grand principle of the self-evolving powers of nature. 162 Can you believe the Anglican church tried two of these theologians for heresy? They were acquitted later but, really, how ridiculous!! Even if organized religion is hostile to my ideas, there are plenty of individual religious believers who do not seem troubled at all by my ideas QUESTION: DID YOU EXPECT THAT YOUR THEORY WOULD CAUSE SO MUCH CONTROVERSY? Yes, I did. That is partly the reason that I waited so long to publish my work. I first came up with the ideas of natural selection and common descent in I spent the next 20 years gathering evidence to show these ideas were true. It was only Mr. Wallace s letter to me in 1858, showing he had discovered the same ideas that got me moving to publish. Lyell warned me that hesitation on my part might lead to someone else publishing my ideas before I got around to doing so! 181. QUESTION: DID YOU WORRY ABOUT HOW RELIGIOUS PEOPLE WOULD REACT TO THE IDEA OF EVOLUTION? To some degree, but I have pursued my science wherever it has led me which I think is the only proper way to do science. For example, I chose not to deal with the idea of man s evolution in the Origin of Species. I wrote then that [light will be thrown on the origin of man and his history] (OOS) and left it at that. The idea of evolution by natural selection was novel enough and I wanted it to be examined carefully without the distraction of applying these ideas to man. Things didn t work out that way, since it was easy to extrapolate what I was saying in the Origin and apply those ideas to man s evolution. I take solace in the fact that, of the more than 200 clergymen who corresponded with me, many found ways of reconciling their beliefs with an evolutionary view of nature QUESTION: DOES GOD GUIDE EVOLUTION? It does not appear that evolution is guided in any way by God or a First Cause, at least that we can detect based on evidence that we can collect as scientists. Speciation is not miraculous and it does not seem to have a defined endpoint. Based on the facts I have collected, I can see no evidence of beneficent design, or indeed of design of any kind, in the 162 Temple, F., Powell, B., et al Essays and Reviews. 163 Darwin Correspondence Project, Darwin and Religion: Historical Essay Page 58 of 63

59 details. As for each variation that has ever occurred having been preordained for a special end, I can no more believe in it than that the spot on which each drop of rain falls has been specially ordained. The old argument of design in nature, as given by Paley, which formerly seemed to me so conclusive, fails, now that the law of natural selection has been discovered 164. For myself, I think that theology & science should each run its own course QUESTION: DID YOU EVER BELIEVE IN CREATIONISM? Yes. As a young man I did not in the least doubt the strict and literal truth of every word in the Bible 166. It was the Beagle voyage and my subsequent work that changed my mind. The scientific data simply do not support the biblical idea of the separate creation of each and every species QUESTION: DID YOU EVER ABANDON YOUR THOUGHTS REGARDING EVOLUTION? No, of course not. Evolution by natural selection is the idea about which I am most proud QUESTION: HOW DID YOU GET THE COURAGE TO GO AGAINST THE PREVAILING WORLDVIEW? Ultimately, a scientist s job and obligation is to dispassionately investigate the natural world, even if this means giving up cherished notions of how it works. Having said that, it can be very uncomfortable carrying out that ideal, which is partly why it took me twenty years to publish my work on species transmutation QUESTION: WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO PEOPLE WHO DIDN T BELIEVE YOUR THEORY? I would remind them that science is not a question of belief, but of evidence. In this it differs strongly from revealed religion. I would ask them to take the time to carefully examine the evidence I and others have gathered and to carefully look at the analysis of it. Descent with modification is a logical outcome of these data and, furthermore, it can be tested. 164 Letter 7273 Darwin, C. R. to Hooker, J. D., 12 July [1870] 165 Letter 5307 Darwin, C. R. to Boole, M. E., 14 Dec The autobiography of Charles Darwin With the original omissions restored. Edited and with appendix and notes by his grand-daughter Nora Barlow. Text Image PDF F1497. Page 59 of 63

60 Modern Questions 187. QUESTION: HOW DOES MODERN TECHNOLOGY AFFECT OUR EVOLUTION? Any device or invention that allows people to survive and reproduce when they might otherwise not can affect how man evolves, at least in principle. I think it is important to understand, however, that as a species, the great majority of our fellow men and women throughout the world live in poverty and thus under strong natural selection. You cannot for a moment think that everyone lives like an upper-middle class Englishman with access to modern technology and medicine QUESTION: HOW DOES OUR LOCATION AFFECT OUR EVOLUTION? The physical environment plays an enormous role in how man and other species evolve over time. Individuals that possess traits that allow them to survive and reproduce in a certain climate will be selected for thus driving evolution over time. This certainly happens in man causing him to look different in different populations throughout the world. Some naturalists would treat [the different races] as different species. However, every naturalist who has had the misfortune to under-take the description of a group of highly varying organisms, has encountered cases precisely like that of man; and if of a cautious disposition, he will end by uniting all the forms which graduate into each other as a single species; for he will say to himself that he has no right to give names to objects which he cannot define 167. There is only one human species, however variable, and we are all a part of it QUESTION: SHOULD CHILDREN LEARN YOUR THEORY IN SCHOOL? Yes, and also geology, zoology, botany, and physics as well. Otherwise, how are children going to understand the natural world? Are there places where children do not learn these things? That is worrisome QUESTION: WHY AM I SO DIFFERENT FROM MY MOM AND DAD? You are different from your mother and father because of variation. Every individual in every population of every species varies one from another. This is a basic fact of the natural world and an important one for evolution to take place. Without variation, there would be no evolution, since natural selection would have nothing to sort. Where this variation comes from, however, remains a real mystery QUESTION: WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT TODAY S TECHNOLOGY? I was gratified to live in an era of technological progress. We had railroads to move us, the steam engine to power various machines, photography to record minute details, machines that sew and weave, 167 Darwin, CR The descent of man, and selection in relation to sex. London: John Murray. 1st ed. P. 216, Page 60 of 63

61 Bessemer steel from which to make all sorts of products, the transatlantic telegraph for communicating with America, and, I am told, a device for speaking to people at a distance called the telephone. Queen Victoria tested one of these devices several years ago at her residence on the Isle of Wight and talked to people in London. Can you imagine? What a marvelous modern age I lived in QUESTION: WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE EARTH S CONDITION? Well, Emma and I moved out of London to the countryside in 1842, in part because the smoky air there seemed to be affecting my health. And the Thames is a notoriously dirty river. You know, I believe these kinds of man-made conditions might even affect the evolution of species. In fact, Mr. Albert Farn, the entomologist, wrote to me to tell me that dark forms of the geometer moth, Gnophos obscurata, were being selected for because the chalk slopes on which they lived were turning black from all the coal smoke 168! I would bet this is not the only example of this kind of phenomenon. Humans can cause evolution to happen, I have no doubt QUESTION: WOULD YOU APPROVE OF APPLYING YOUR THEORIES TO THE SOCIAL SCIENCES? I assume you mean by social sciences what Herbert Spencer has called psychology and sociology. Well, I have already done so myself. I talked about human evolution in The Descent of Man, and Selection in Relation to Sex of 1871 and The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals of It is obvious to me that evolution has affected how humans think and behave and I think it would be very profitable if we looked at ourselves more closely with this in mind QUESTION: WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO BUDDING SCIENTISTS? I think perhaps a quote by my friend Thomas Huxley is useful here: As he says, Sit down before fact as a little child, be prepared to give up every conceived notion, follow humbly wherever and whatever abysses nature leads, or you will learn nothing. So, keep and open mind, and be prepared to work very hard QUESTION: WOULD YOU STILL HAVE PUBLISHED YOUR THEORY IF YOU KNEW LATER IT WOULD BE USED PERSECUTE RACIAL MINORITIES? The misuse of scientific knowledge is a particular problem which does not make the science itself any less true. This is something scientists should guard against QUESTION: DID YOU THINK THAT YOUR FINDINGS WOULD STILL HAVE AN IMPACT OVER 100 YEARS AFTER YOUR DEATH? 168 Letter Farn, A. B. to Darwin, C. R., 18 Nov 1878 Page 61 of 63

62 Do they? I am exceedingly gratified! 197. QUESTION: WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE SCOPES MONKEY TRIAL? I have no idea what you are talking about. Putting monkeys on trial? That sounds ridiculous. In what unfortunate place did this occur? 198. QUESTION: HOW WOULD YOUR THEORY CHANGE IF YOU PUBLISHED IT TODAY? I assume that if I were to have published my theory at a later date I would have incorporated whatever scientific knowledge was available at the time and would have had a chance to clear up some issues that are still uncertain, like where variation comes from and how heredity works, two subjects about which we are profoundly ignorant. Page 62 of 63

63 Principal Sources: Agassiz, L Professor Agassiz on the Origin of Species, American Journal of Science 30 (June 1860) Browne, Janet and Michael Neve. Introduction. Voyage of the Beagle. By Charles Darwin. New York: Penguin, 1989 Browne, Janet. Charles Darwin: Voyaging. New York: Knopf, 1995 Darwin, CR Journal of Researches or Voyage of the Beagle (Journal and remarks) Darwin, CR The formation of vegetable mould, through the action of worms. London: John Murray Darwin, CR The zoology of the voyage of H.M.S. Beagle. Darwin CR Beagle Diary Darwin, CR The descent of man, and selection in relation to sex. London: John Murray. 1st ed. P. 398 Darwin, CR The variation of animals and plants under domestication. London: John Murray. 1st ed., 1st issue. Darwin, CR On the origin of species by means of natural selection, or the preservation of favoured races in the struggle for life. London: John Murray. 1st ed. Darwin, CR The autobiography of Charles Darwin With the original omissions restored. Edited and with appendix and notes by his granddaughter Nora Barlow. Darwin Correspondence Project Jenkin, Fleeming [Review of] The origin of species. The North British Review 46 (June): King, David C. Charles Darwin. New York: DK, 2007 Temple, F., Powell, B., et al Essays and Reviews. Darwin, CR The formation of vegetable mould, through the action of worms. London: John Murray. P. 313 Tort, Patrick. Darwin and the Science of Evolution. Trans. Paul G. Bahn. New York: Harry N. Abrams, 2001 Page 63 of 63

64 Viewer Feedback Form Thank you for trying our display. Help us to perfect our interactive display for future viewers by answering these few questions. 1. How would you rate the following aspects of SYNTHETIC DARWIN? Visual Effects Soundtrack Touch Screen Look Touch Screen Interactivity Questions Darwin Answers Modern Experts Poor Excellent 5 Extra Images in Mirror Answer Length Amount of Info Too Little Just Right Too Much 2. Would you like to spend more time with this display? YES NO If no, why?

65 3. Would you recommend this display to a friend? YES NO If no, why? 4. What age group(s) do you think this display is appropriate for? (Circle all that apply) Elementary School Middle School High School Adults 5. What was your favorite thing that you learned from this display? Your Age: 6 or younger s or 30 s 40 s or 50 s Over Do you have any additional suggestions to help improve future versions of this display?

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85 page 2 Page 2 2 Introduction Darwin Synthetic Interview WebQuests Overview: There are two 40 minute activities in this lesson plan that can be used independently or together. For both activities, students can work at their own pace as they explore the synthetic interview. Activity A: Darwin s Life This lesson plan was developed as part of the Darwin 2009: Exploration is Never Extinct initiative in Pittsburgh. Darwin2009 includes a suite of lesson plans, multimedia, on-line resources and art. Find all information on-line at: This lesson plan was originally developed for the Carnegie Science Center in Pittsburgh, PA. Special Thanks to Mike Henessy, Bryan Abraham, Azur Cherin. This activity is a crossword puzzle that gives students a chance to explore the life of Darwin and the basics of evolution. This activity is an excellent general introduction to Charles Darwin. Students will explore the life and work of Charles Darwin on the computer in a relaxed classroom setting with a fun crossword format. Learning Objectives Students will be able to: 1. Define evolution, adaptation, natural selection, inheritance, and traits 2. Describe basic facts about Charles Darwin and his work. Activity B: A Revolutionary Idea This more advanced activity delves into the details of the science behind Darwin s principle of evolution by natural selection. Students will learn about how Darwin collected and combined evidence to develop his principle of evolution, and will see how the evidence reveals the link between environment and adaptation. Materials and Resources 1 photocopied activity per student 1 computer per student internet connection (optional) read the background material provided in this lesson plan for an overview of Darwin s life and science. Learning Objectives Students will be able to: 1. Define evolution, adaptation, natural selection, inheritance, favorable traits, and vestigial structures. 2. Discuss the controversy around the publication of Origin of Species. 3. Describe the types of data Charles Darwin collected and explain why the data provide evidence for evolution by natural selection. 4. Predict the favorability of traits in changing environments. A few things your students should already know: 1. Charles Darwin is a famous naturalist who published his principle of evolution by natural selection in the book Origin of Species. 2. Scientists come up with theories to explain observations about the world around us and then collect data to try to prove those theories are correct. 3. What organsims and species are.

86 page 3 Page 3 3 Teacher Pages Darwin Synthetic Interview WebQuests Vocabulary 1. Trait- A characteristic of an organism or species (ex: eye color, hair color, hair texture, etc.). A trait that helps an organism survive or thrive in its environment is called a favorable trait. This trait gives an organism an advantage over organisms without that trait. 2. Natural Selection- The process by which environmental conditions determine what characteristics of a species are favorable traits for its environment. Individuals with favorable traits produce more offspring. 3. Evolution- The accumulation of changes through natural selection within a population that occurs over a series of generations. 4. Adaptation (v.)- The process of an organism becoming better suited to its habitat over time. 5. Adaptation (n.)- A favorable trait that is important for a species survival. 6. Inheritance- The passing of traits from parent to offspring. Overview Charles Robert Darwin was born in Shrewsbury, England on February 12, 1809 to Robert Waring Darwin, a doctor, and Susannah Wedgewood, the daughter of a famous potter. Even as a young child, his interest in nature (and lack of interest in learning Greek, Latin and History) was plainly obvious. At sixteen, his father sent him to medical school, but he was unhappy and left to attend Cambridge University with the intent of becoming an Anglican minister. Again, Darwin showed little interest in his studies. During his free time he loved to collect beetles and to attend the botany lectures and excursions of Professor Henslow. The professor and Charles developed a friendship rooted in their mutual interest in the natural world. He graduated in 1831 at age 22. The Voyage of the HMS Beagle After graduation, Professor Henslow found Charles a position on the ship HMS Beagle as a volunteer naturalist. The voyage s mission was to chart the South American coastline to help make maps. As a naturalist, Charles spent much of his time on land collecting specimens of animals, insects, and plants, and taking descriptive notes in his journal. He sent many of his notes and specimens to Professor Henslow. During his journey, Charles was particularly intrigued by the Galapagos Islands. Formed by volcanoes more recently than the continents, these Islands gave Charles the opportunity to observe a relatively new and recently populated land. The plants and animals here were like none that

87 page 4 Page 4 4 he had ever seen. There were beautiful birds with blue feet, tortoises unafraid of man, ugly iguanas, and bright red crabs. Charles realized that his passion for science was stronger than for other subjects and happily started collecting lots of specimens - many of which he sent back to England. Darwin s Principle of Evolution The creatures on the Galapagos Islands piqued Darwin s interest. Darwin s thoughts about these animals led him to one of his greatest discoveries about evolution - the principle of natural selection. In January of after he returned to England - the scientist that Darwin gave his Galapagos bird specimens to, John Gould, gave an interesting report: the birds that Darwin had assumed to be different species were actually twelve different species of finches! How could one there be so many closely related finches? This question haunted Darwin because at its heart it was in conflict with the widely accepted idea that all species were created at once. Darwin took many notes on what he called the transmutation of species - the idea that species changed over time. He recorded every detail of his correspondences and the specimens he found relating to the changes in species over time. He wrote questions in his notebooks like: Each species changes. Does it progress? He noticed that the finches had many similarities, which made Darwin think that maybe they came from a common ancestor. But something had caused these finches to change over time...what was it? And, how did it work? Farmers of the time knew one simple and practical rule - traits are usually passed down from parent to offspring. This simple observation allowed farmers to artificially select favorable traits in species of plants and animals for many years. You may have heard of artificial selection by the name domestication. It refers to the way that farmers bred fast horses with fast horses, or hardy peas with hardy peas, in order to create offspring with desirable traits. Charles Darwin thought about artificial selection in relation to nature and formed his principle of natural selection. What is Natural Selection? Natural selection describes the way a species environment selects for favorable traits and against unfavorable traits. Just like the farmers would choose the fastest horse to mate, Darwin proposed that, for example, a dry environment would select animals that are able to survive with less water. But Darwin could not determine what force in nature actually selected which organisms reproduced. The answer came to him while reading Thomas Malthus Essay on the Principle of Population. The book outlined the way that organisms can produce many offspring, but the number of offspring that survive is affected by the amount of available resources. In other words, the earth does not become overpopulated because limited food resources control the number of organisms that reach maturity and reproduce. Suddenly Darwin saw the answer to his problem. Competition between individuals selected favorable traits. All organisms must compete with each other for basic resources food, water, and space. There is competition both between species and within

88 page 5 Page 5 5 a species. Darwin noticed that competition forced species to change, or adapt, in order to survive. If too many birds eat insects, then one species of bird might evolve to have a beak adapted to cracking open nuts. The competition for food led the species of bird to a new food source. The environment creates specific pressures, such as a lack of water. Some individuals that are better adapted, or more fit, for this particular environment (maybe they lose less water to perspiration). These more-fit organisms are able to out-compete the others and create more offspring. Over time, these favorable traits accumulate and the species changes so all organisms in the species share the ability to lose less water to perspiration. This change over time is evolution. Though other scientists such as Jean-Baptiste de Lamarck were also developing theories of evolution, Darwin was the first to get it right. On November 1859, Darwin s book about evolution and natural selection, The Origin of Species, was published. All 1,250 copies were sold on the first day. The archaeopteryx lithographica fossil shows scientists the transitional link between dinosaurs and birds. Notice its bird-like wings and its reptilian tail. These clues show scientists the way that some dinosaurs evolved to become birds. Evidence of Evolution Fossils During his travels to South America, Darwin discovered fossils and observed that the bones of extinct mammals that he unearthed closely resembled some of the current mammals in those regions. For example, he noticed a relationship between the fossils of extinct large armadillos that he found and the armadillos he saw walking around on the continent. Today, scientists have found even more exciting fossils that show direct relationships between animals. One of the most fascinating of these fossil links is the Archaeopteryx, which looks like a sort of cross between a dinosaur and a bird. If you look closely, you can see that it has the feathers and wings of a bird and the tail of a reptile. It shows how some dinosaurs evolved to become birds. Biogeography Biogeography is the scientific study of the way in which plants and animals are spread around the globe. Certain types of plants and animals can only be found in specific locations. Cacti are found in deserts; monkeys are found in tropical regions. It would be a surprise to see a polar bear in the desert. Why? Because those large, heavily insulated animals aren t properly equipped to live in dry, hot regions. The way that animals are well suited to fit into their specific environment serves as evidence for evolution. Vestigial Structures Plants and animals, including humans, have body parts that they don t use, known as vestigial structures. The goosebumps you get when you re scared are actually a vestigial structure. They serve no purpose. The only way to explain their existence is by looking at our ancestors. When other mammals get goosebumps, their long hair stands on end, making them look bigger. We can speculate that our goosebumps come from sharing a

89 page 6 Page 6 6 common ancestor with other mammals that had the same characteristic. Other human vestigial structures include the tailbone and the appendix. Vestigial structures show how animals are related to their common ancestor. Biochemical Evidence Today, scientists have proved that genetic material (DNA) - which contains the traits an organism has (genes) - gets passed down from parent to offspring. Now, scientists can look at the sequence of the DNA of different organisms and see how genes have changed as species evolved and diverged. Organisms with similar types of genes are likely to have a common ancestor. For example, humans and chimpanzees have many traits in common - like similar body structure, opposable thumbs, and the ability to walk upright - so it shouldn t surprise you to learn that 95% of their DNA is the same! Only 5% encodes for the traits that make us uniquely human.

90 page 7 Page 7 7 Pre-Activity Darwin Synthetic Interview WebQuests Reflection 1. Who is Charles Darwin? 2. What is evolution? 3. What kinds of things are affected by evolution? Navigating the Synthetic Interview with Charles Darwin The Synthetic Interview has 5 main sections: 1. the categories you can choose from 2. the questions you can ask 3. the question Darwin is answering 4. the video screen 5. the Charles Darwin animation 6. the experts 1. Click here to choose a category. 2. Click here to choose a question. 3. The question shows up here. 4. Darwin will answer here. 5. Pictures show up here. 6. Darwin doesn t always have the answers. For some questions, you can get information from modern scientists and theologians. Click the face of an expert for a modern perspective. Your teacher will hand out Activity A or Activity B - follow the instructions and have fun!

91 Activity A: Darwin s Life page 8 Page 8 8 ACROSS 1 When farmers purposely breed cows to create new breeds that produce more milk, this is an example of selection. DOWN 2 The captain of the Beagle (two words) 3 Darwin s father s job 5 The type of bird that Darwin studied the most 4 The earth is 4.5 years old. 9 The fossil of Archeopterix is an example of a 6 The can influence adaptation. form between reptiles and birds. 10 Evolution is descent with. 7 The Galapagos islands were formed by. 11 Darwin made some of his most important observations on the islands. 8 In natural selection, is the process of an organism becoming better suited to its environment. 13 The boat Darwin worked on 12 One of Darwin's favorite hobbies 14 Humans and apes have a common. 15 The HMS Beagle was sent to map the coast of America. 16 Darwin s middle name 17 selection is a law of nature that leads to adaptation in all species.

92 Activity B: The Revolutionary Idea page 9 Page 9 9 What You Will Do Open the Sythetic Interview and explore it to learn about the life and work of Charles Darwin. Use the questions below to help you learn more about how Darwin lived and how he collected evidence in support of the principle of evolution. Part 1 - Thinking about Evolution For this section, explore the sections The Origin of Species and Evolution and Evolution and the Skeptics Jean-Bastist Lamark, one of Darwin s inspirations and friends. 1. What is a trait? A. a behavior that you learn from your parents B. a characteristic of an organism that changes as you get older C. a characteristic of an organism that can be passed to offspring D. all of the above 2. What is adaptation? 3. What is natural selection? 4. Name one person who thought about evolution before Darwin. A map of the Galapagos Islands 5. Darwin was inspired by the work done on evolution by other scientists. What did these scientists know about evolution?

93 page 10 Page What was different about what Darwin proposed about evolution? A. that artificial selection was the mechanism of evolution B. that natural selection was the mechanism of evolution C. that evolution only happens for complex organsims D. that evolution stopped in the 1700s 7. How did people and other scientists react to the publication of the Origin of Species? 8. Name one objection that people had to Darwin s theory of evolution. Part 2 - Evidence of Evolution 1. There are four main types of evidence of evolution. Name 3. A prehistoric bird fossil. 2. How do fossils provide evidence that evolution works through natural selection? 3. Vestigial structures are structures on organisms that seem to have lost all or most of their function. Which of these are examples of vestigial structures in humans? Circle all of the correct answers. A. beards B. tailbones C. eyelashes D. wisdom teeth E. goose bumps F. toenails

94 4. Why are vestigial structures evidence of common descent of humans? page 11 Page Part 3 - Re-thinking Evolution 1. Now that you ve had a chance to explore, what is evolution? A finch like those found on the Galapagos Islands. 2. How is your answer above different than it was at the beginning of the Quest? You re done with the synthetic interview. Great job!

95 page 12 Page Additional Exercises - Can it adapt? Name 1. The environment is constantly changing, and animals aren t always able to survive the change. In the table below there is a list of animals with one example of a heritable trait for each animal and a type of environmental change. For each one, decide if the heritable trait would be favorable or unfavorable in that new environment. Animal Trait Environmental Pressure Favorable or Unfavorable? Polar Bear Thick, fuzzy fur Increase in temperature White Owl White feathers Increase in the amount of snow Mallard Duck Webbed feet Decrease in the number of lakes Jack Rabbit Large ears Faster predators 2. Think of your favorite animal and draw it. 3. Now imagine that the planet gets much hotter and draw what your animal might look like after it adapted to the new temperature.

96 Activity A: Darwin CrossWord Key page 13 Page ACROSS 1 When farmers purposely breed cows to create new breeds that produce more milk, this is an example of selection. DOWN 2 The captain of the Beagle (two words) 3 Darwin s father s job 5 The type of bird that Darwin studied the most 4 The earth is 4.5 years old. 9 The fossil of Archeopterix is an example of a 6 The can influence adaptation. form between reptiles and birds. 10 Evolution is descent with. 7 The Galapagos islands were formed by. 11 Darwin made some of his most important observations on the islands. 8 In natural selection, is the process of an organism becoming better suited to its environment. 13 The boat Darwin worked on 12 One of Darwin's favorite hobbies 14 Humans and apes have a common. 15 The HMS Beagle was sent to map the coast of America. 16 Darwin s middle name 17 selection is a law of nature that leads to adaptation in all species.

97 Activity B: The Revolutionary Idea Key page 14 Page Part 1 - Thinking about Evolution 1. What is a trait? A. a behavior that you learn from your parents B. a characteristic of an organism that changes as you get older C. a characteristic of an organism that can be passed to offspring D. all of the above (Answer found in The Origin of Species and Evolution section of DVD.) 2. What is an adaptation? The process of an organism becoming better suited to its habitat over time. (Answer found in The Origin of Species and Evolution section of DVD.) 3. What is natural selection? Natural selection is the process that causes favorable heritable traits to become more common in successive generations, and unfavorable heritable traits to become less common. (Answer found in The Origin of Species and Evolution section of DVD.) 4. Name one person who thought about evolution before Darwin. Jean-Baptist Lemark, Darwin s grandfather, Charles Lyell or the unknown author of Vestiges of the Natural History of Creation in (Answer found in Evolution and the Skeptics section of DVD.) 5. Darwin was inspired by the work done on evolution by other scientists. What did these scientists know about evolution? Scientists already thought that species were changed by the environment, but they didn t know how. (Answer found in Evolution and the Skeptics section of DVD.) 6. What was different about what Darwin proposed about evolution? A. that artificial selection was the mechanism of evolution B. that natural selection was the mechanism of evolution C. that evolution only happens for complex organsims D. that evolution stopped in the 1700s (Answer found in Evolution and the Skeptics section of DVD.)

98 page 15 Page How did people and other scientists react to the publication of the Origin of Species? Many scientists thought it was brilliant, but others thought it was completely wrong. Some people thought Darwin didn t have enough evidence. Others didn t think that he explained all of the theory well enough (for example, the cause of variation.) (Answer found in The Origin of Species and Evolution section of DVD.) 8. Name one objection that people had to Darwin s theory of evolution. Many people believed (and some still do) that Darwin s theory went against their religious beliefs, some didn t want to believe humans descended from apes. (Answer found in Evolution and the Skeptics section of DVD.) Part 2 - Evidence of Evolution 1. There are four main pieces of evidence of evolution. Name Similarities in body structure of similar animals 2. Fossil records of animals changing over time 3. Geographical distribution of animals 4. The fact that all living things have DNA as their genetic material (Answer found in Evolution and the Skeptics section of DVD.) 2. How do fossils provide evidence that evolution works through natural selection? If evolution of species via natural selection is a true scientific phenomenon, then we should see changes in fossils over time. If we look at the skeletal imprints of fossils in the older, deeper layers and compare them to the skeletons of the newer, shallower layers, we see that they change slowly over time. Also, fossils provide evidence of transitional and extinct species. (Answer found in Evolution and the Skeptics section of DVD.) 3. Vestigial structures are structures on organisms that seem to have lost all or most of their function. Which of these are examples of vestigial structures in humans? Circle all of the correct answers. A. beards B. tailbones C. eyelashes D. wisdom teeth E. goose bumps F. toenails (Answer found in The Origin of Species and Evolution section of DVD.)

99 page 16 Page Why are vestigial structures evidence of common descent of humans? It doesn t make sense for an species to spontaneously develop a useless part of the body. Instead, these structures stop being used by newer generations, but don t get eliminated. If a more modern species has a vestigial structure, you can look for the ancestor that had it. (Answer found in The Origin of Species and Evolution section of DVD.) Additional Exercises: Can it adapt? The environment is constantly changing, and animals aren t always able to survive the change. In the table below there is a list of animals with one example of a heritable trait for each animal and a type of environmental change that might make that heritable trait more favorable or unfavorable. For each one, decide if the heritable trait would be favorable or unfavorable in that particular environment. Animal Trait Environmental Pressure Favorable or Unfavorable? Polar Bear Thick, fuzzy fur Increase in temperature unfavorable White Owl White feathers Increase in the amount of snow favorable Mallard Duck Webbed feet Decrease in the number of lakes unfavorable Jack Rabbit Large ears Faster predators favorable

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