History’s Most Famous Biologist

Charles Robert Darwin transformed the way we understand the natural world with ideas that, in his day, were nothing short of revolutionary. Celebrated as one of the greatest British scientists who ever lived, but in his time, his radical theories brought him into conflict with members of the Church of England. All animals were created by God, except in Darwin’s eyes, they were not.

Her was born into a well-to-do English family, although his mother died when he was only eight. Like a lot of kids his age, he collected rocks, shells and insects. He spent most of his time in and around the streams and gardens near his home. Discovery and curiosity were in his blood.

At sixteen, Darwin began studying medicine. However, unable to cope with the weight of surgery (in those days, performed without an anaesthetic), he gravitated toward the company of naturalists. The idea that species could change over time captivated him. He kept his thoughts to himself; such radical views were not accepted.

His lifelong passion and career as a naturalist happened by accident. His father, recognising he was never going to be in medicine, sent him to Cambridge to study theology. There, he met Reverend John Henslow.

Henslow, a botanist, became a life-changing influence for Darwin. He recommended Darwin for a voyage that would shape not only his destiny but the course of science itself. In 1831, at the age of twenty-two, Charles Darwin was invited to serve as the unpaid gentleman naturalist aboard the HMS Beagle.

For five years, Darwin immersed himself in the wonders of life that he observed, like a kid in a candy shop. None left more of an impression than his studies on the Galapagos Islands. How did these leaf forms become so exquisitely adapted to their environments?

His specimens, which he collected, and copious field notes he took, provided the evidence he needed to develop his remarkable theory. Darwin’s theory of evolution was intellectually astounding but mortally terrifying. For over twenty years, he refined his theories in silence.

By chance, Darwin, who was suffering from illnesses caused by the burden of silence he was carrying, was introduced to a young naturalist, Alfred Wallace, in 1958. Wallace had independently conceived the idea of natural selection. The concept shattered Darwin, who feared he had kept his secret for too long.

Darwin organised for their findings to be jointly announced. The details provided by Darwin clearly indicated that he had been working on the concepts for much longer than Wallace. In 1859, he published “On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection.”

The book sold out on the first day. He was hailed by some as a work of genius and condemned by others as blasphemy. Religious leaders branded him an atheist. Over time, his ideas gained acceptance—not because of fashion or force, but because they explained so much so well.

Darwin’s theory was that in nature, more individuals are born than can survive. Those with advantageous traits (‘the fittest’) are more likely to reproduce. This, he reasoned, “was the engine of change.”

Although Darwin’s theory of evolution has been modified over time, it remains fundamental to the study of the natural world. Darwin changed not only the way we see all organisms, but also the way we see ourselves.

Contrary to what you might think, he was a quiet and unassuming man. He lived with his wife Emma (who was devoutly religious). They had ten children, seven of whom lived into adulthood. He became a sage figure in British science. He corresponded with scientists, philosophers, and thinkers around the world.

Charles Darwin died on April 19, 1882, at the age of seventy-three. Despite his wishes for a simple burial, he was laid to rest at Westminster Abbey, near Sir Isaac Newton.

Darwin was my hero while I was in university. The man symbolised all those scientists who asked questions with genuine curiosity, tested theories to get evidence, and accepted every truth with wonder and humility.

I can remember a two-hour conversation with my Zoology Professor, who had spent years researching further into the Galapagos finches, one of Darwin’s iconic study subjects. He gave me books on Darwin’s work to read, and we struck a rapport. Maybe that's why I was offered an honours position in his department when I finished mt degree.

Till next time,

Calvin