darwin

Darwin, Charles Robert (1809–1882), was an English naturalist whose theory of evolution by natural selection became the central organizing principle of modern biology. He proposed that species change over time and share common ancestors, with differential survival and reproduction driving adaptive changes.

Darwin’s ideas were shaped by his voyage aboard the HMS Beagle (1831–1836). During travels across the globe, he gathered specimens and made observations in geology, biogeography, and zoology. In the Galápagos Islands he noted variation among related species and among island populations, leading him to consider how environmental differences could influence inherited traits.

In 1859 Darwin published On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or The Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life. The work argued that natural selection—the differential survival and reproduction of individuals with advantageous traits—shapes the characteristics of populations over long timescales. The theory was developed in part with Alfred Russel Wallace, who independently conceived a theory of natural selection similar in essence.

Darwin continued to publish research on related topics, including The Descent of Man (1871) and The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals (1872). His work on evolution influenced biology, anthropology, and related fields, while provoking ongoing discussion about science and religion. Darwin spent his later years at Down House in Kent, where he died in 1882 and was buried in Westminster Abbey.