Charles Darwin

Justin Lozoya
Bob Koningsor
Science 110
13 October 2009
Charles Darwin
      Charles Darwin, the father of the theory of evolution through natural selection, known to many as the man who theorized that man came from apes. This distinction however is not correct, as we will discuss, Darwin did not theorize that men evolved from apes but that they had a common evolutionary ancestor. He was one of the last of dying breed of scientists around the 1800’s that came from wealthy families and studied science as a pastime. Despite his upbringing he still overcame many obstacles in his life, and became one of the most well known scientists of our time.
      Charles Robert Darwin was born in Shrewsbury, England on February 12, 1809 at his family’s home. Wikipedia (2009) He was born to Robert and Susannah Darwin, both well off families at the time. His grandfather on his fathers’ side was Erasmus Darwin who was a well known scientist in his own right; some of his publications include The Loves of the Plants and Zoonomia in which he clearly spelled out some of his evolutionary beliefs that all life had descended from one common ancestor. The following statement is an expert from Zoomania regarding his view on evolution as quoted from The Scientist:
      Would it be too bold to imagine that, in the great length of time since the earth began to exist, perhaps millions of ages before the commencement of the history of mankind would it be too bold to imagine that all warm-blooded animals have arisen from one living filament, which the great First Cause endued with animality, with the power of acquiring new parts, attended with new propensities, directed by irritations, sensations, volitions and associations, and thus possessing the faculty of continuing to improve by its own inherent activity, and of delivering down these improvements by generation to its posterity, world without end!
Although Erasmus did not reach the fame of our Darwin it is clear that ideas about... [continues]

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