Darwin, Charles Robert

Darwin, Charles Robert (1809–82) English naturalist, originator of a theory of evolution based on natural selection. In 1831 he joined a round-the-world expedition on HMS Beagle. Observations made of the flora and fauna of South America (especially the Galápagos Islands) formed the basis of his work on animal variation. The development of a similar theory by A. R. Wallace led Darwin to present his ideas to the Linnean Society in 1858, and in 1859 he published The Origin of Species, one of the world's most influential science books. Darwin argued that organisms reproduce more than is necessary to replenish their population, creating competition for survival. Opposed to the ideas of Lamarck, Darwin argued that each organism was a unique combination of genetic variations. The variations that prove helpful in the struggle to survive are passed down to the offspring of the survivors. He termed this process natural selection. Darwin did not distinguish between acquired characteristics and genetic variations. Instead, neo-Darwinism supplemented his ideas with modern research into heredity, especially mutation.

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