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Charles Darwin Your Famous Namesakes / Names / Patronymic names / First Name / Middle name / Horoscopes / Tests / Events / Table of Contents / Names home Charles Robert Darwin biography
Charles Robert Darwin (1809-1882) was an English naturalist, the creator of Darwinism, a foreign corresponding member of the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences (1867).
He is known as the founder of the evolutionary doctrine.
Scientific field: biology and geology.
Academic degrees: Bachelor of Arts (1832), Master of Arts (1837) and Doctor of Canon and Civil Law.
In the main work "The Origin of species by natural selection" (1859), summarizing the results of his own observations (sailing on the Beagle, 1831-36) and the achievements of modern biology and breeding practice, he revealed the main factors of the evolution of the organic world.
In the work "The change of domestic animals and cultivated plants" (vol. 1-2, 1868), Charles Darwin outlined additional factual material to the main work.
In the book.
"The origin of man and sexual selection" (1871) justified the hypothesis of the origin of man from an ape like ancestor.
Works on geology, botany and zoology.
The zodiac sign is Aquarius.
Darwin's childhood, education and family Charles Darwin was born on February 12, 1809 in Shrewsbury, England.
He was the son of Robert Darwin, who successfully practiced as a doctor in Shrewsbury.
Mother Susanna Wedgwood came from a rich family of owners of the famous porcelain factory.
The Darwin family has been associated with the Wedgwood family for several generations.
Darwin himself married his cousin Emma Wedgwood.
Darwin's grandfather Erasmus Darwin was a famous doctor, naturalist, naturalist - scientist, researcher of nature; young naturalists( young naturalists), schoolchildren who observe nature and protect useful plants, animals, etc., a poet.
In general, representatives of the Darwin family are characterized by high intellectual qualities and broad cultural interests.
After the sudden death of his mother in 1817, Charles Darwin's older sister Caroline took over the upbringing of Charles Darwin.
In the same year, Charles began attending a school for incoming students in Shrewsbury.
He did not shine with success, but even then he developed a taste for natural history and for collecting collections.
In 1818 H. Darwin went to Shrewsbury to a" big school " with a boarding school, which was "just an empty place"for him.
Darwin studied medicine at the University of Edinburgh in 1825-1827, and theology at Cambridge in 1827-31.
In 1831-36, on the recommendation of the botanist J. Darwin got a job on the ship "Beagle" as a naturalist and made a trip around the world From the trip he returned a man of science.
In 1839, Charles Darwin married and the young family settled in London.
Since 1842, the family has lived permanently in Down, a beautiful place, convenient for concentrated work and recreation.
Darwin and his wife had 10 children,of whom three died in childhood.
On December 27, 1831 ,the Beagle set sail.
Darwin managed to take with him the just published 1st volume of Charles Lyell's "Fundamentals of Geology".
This volume had a great influence on the formation of the scientific views of the young researcher.
Before the publication of Lyell's book, the theory of catastrophes prevailed in geology.
Lyell showed that the geological forces that operated in the past continue to operate now.
Darwin fruitfully applied Lyell's teaching in relation to an object that met on the path of the "Beagle".
It was the island of Sant Jago.
His study provided the material for Darwin's first major generalization about the nature of oceanic islands.
Darwin showed that both continental and island volcanoes are associated with large faults of the Earth's crust — the uppermost of the solid shells of the Earth.
The lower boundary of the Earth's crust is considered to be the interface, when passing from top to bottom, longitudinal seismic waves abruptly increase the speed from 6.7 — 7.6 km/sec to 7.9-8.2 km/sec).
This is a sign of the change of a less elastic material to a more elastic and denser one, with cracks formed during the lifting of mountain chains and continents.
The second generalization of Darwin relates to the problem of secular movements of the Earth's crust.
During geological periods of enormous duration, the continent of South America experienced repeated uplifts and descents, which alternated with periods of relative rest.
Charles Darwin drew in broad strokes the origin of the Patagonian Plain and the gradual weathering (denudation) Cordillera.
Darwin's most original geological work was his theory of the origin of atolls, or ringed coral islands.
Darwin's biogenic theory is based on the idea that a coastal reef is built by corals on the coast of a continent or island experiencing sinking.
The layer of corals that has sunk to a depth of more than 50 meters is dying out and only their lime buildings remain.
Paleontological and zoological research Research by Ch.
Darwin's work in these areas has been widely recognized, regardless of the theory of evolution he created.
In the Quaternary sediments of the Pampas of South America, Darwin discovered a large group of extinct giant incompletely toothed.
These monstrous animals, closely related to dwarf armadillos and sloths, were described in detail by anatomist and paleontologist R. Owen.
He also found fossils of a huge hoofed animal a toxodon, whose teeth resembled those of rodents, a giant camel like animal a macrauchenia, similar in body structure to a llama and a guanaco, a tooth of an extinct horse and many other forms.
Darwin discovered a small sized ostrich, the so called "Darwin's nanda", which lives in the southern part of Patagonia.
He observed intruders from North and Central America (spectacled bear, maned wolf, Pampas deer, hamster like rodents, and others.).
These materials could not but lead Darwin to the idea that the continent of South America was isolated from North America for a long time and that this isolation significantly influenced the course of the evolutionary process in different representatives of the South American fauna.
In the Galapagos Islands, Charles Darwin was able to observe a striking divergence of both giant land turtles and finches, which he studied so carefully and later called Darwin's finches.
In 1846, Darwin finished his last monograph on geology and planned to deal closely with the issues of evolution.
He wanted to devote several months to studying barnacles.
But this work lasted until 1854.
He created a major work on the systematics of modern and extinct forms of this group of animals.
Darwin's evolutionary studies After the journey, Charles Darwin began to keep systematic records on evolution.
From 1837 to 1839, he created a series of notebooks in which he sketched in a brief and fragmentary form thoughts about evolution.
In 1842 and 1844.
in two steps, he outlined in a brief form a sketch and an essay on the origin of species.
These works already contain many ideas that were later published by him in 1859.
In 1854-1855, Charles Darwin began working closely on an evolutionary essay, collecting materials on the variability, heredity and evolution of wild animal and plant species, as well as data on the methods of breeding domestic animals and cultivated plants, comparing the results of artificial and natural selection.
He began to write a work, the volume of which he estimated at 3-4 volumes.
By the summer of 1858, he had written ten chapters of this work.
This work was never completed and was first published in the UK in 1975.
The stop in the work was caused by the receipt of a manuscript by A. Wallace, in which, independently of Darwin, the foundations of the theory of natural selection were laid out.
Darwin began to write a short extract and with unusual haste completed the work in 8 months.
On November 24, 1859, "The Origin of Species by Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favored Breeds in the struggle for Life"was published.
The historical merit of Darwin is that he, together with Wallace, revealed the driving factor of evolution — natural selection and thereby revealed the causes of biological evolution.
Passions were raging all over the world, there was a struggle for Darwin, for Darwinism, on the one hand, against Darwinism, on the other.
The audience was buzzing, scientists and publicists were worried, some branded Darwin, others admired him, and Charles Darwin continued to work in his Down.
Ch.
Darwin wrote three more books on evolution.
In 1868, a large work on the theory of artificial selection "Changing domestic animals and cultivated plants"was published.
In this book, not without the influence of criticism, Darwin asked the question of how favorable deviations can be fixed in the offspring, and put forward the "temporary hypothesis of pangenesis".
The hypothesis assumed the transfer of acquired properties from the organs of the body to the germ cells with the help of hypothetical particles - "gemmules" - and was a tribute to Lamarckism.
Darwin and his contemporaries did not know that in 1865 the Austro Czech naturalist Abbot Gregor Mendel discovered the laws of heredity.
The hypothesis of pangenesis was no longer widely needed to be created.
In 1871, when Darwinism was already accepted as a natural scientific concept, Charles Darwin's book "The Origin of Man and Sexual Selection" was published, which shows not only the undoubted similarity, but also the relationship of man and primates.
Darwin argued that the ancestor of man can be found by modern classification, among forms that may be even lower than the great apes.
Humans and monkeys undergo similar psychological and physiological processes in courtship, reproduction, fertility and care of offspring.
The Russian translation of this book appeared in the same year.
Next year, Darwin's book "The Expression of Emotions in Humans and animals" is published, in which, based on the study of facial muscles and means of expressing emotions in humans and animals, their relationship is proved by another example.
Botany and plant physiology All Darwin's botanical and physiological research was aimed at finding evidence of the natural origin of adaptations under the influence of natural selection.
He found that trees tend to have a flower of the same sex, and the appearance of cross pollination leads to an increase in hybrid power (heterosis).
The role of cross pollination and the evolution of species (plant — insect) was studied in detail by him in orchids.
Charles Darwin developed the concept of the ability to climb as an adaptation, as a result of which the plant reaches the light very economically.
This adaptation was acquired by climbing plants during the struggle for existence.
Darwin traced the gradations (transitions) between various adaptations in plants to the climbing lifestyle and found that the most perfect group among climbing plants are tendril bearing lianas.
Finally, in 1881, a year before his death, Charles Darwin published a large work on the role of earthworms in soil formation.
Encyclopedic Darwin, its exceptional reputation as a naturalist, correctness and diplomacy shown by them in the discussions, attention to the points of view opponents and critics, the friendly attitude of the disciples and followers deference toward senior colleagues and other "high inimitable dignity" (Ilya Ilyich Mechnikov) largely contributed to the rapid spread of the teachings of Darwin around the world. (YM Gallons)
More about Charles Darwin: At the age of 9, Charles Darwin entered elementary school, and a year later he moved to Dr. Bettler's gymnasium and showed very mediocre success.
Here they mainly leaned on classical languages, literature, etc. subjects for which Charles had neither the desire nor the ability.
But very early his love and interest in nature were awakened, which was expressed first by collecting plants, minerals, shells, insects, birds ' nests and eggs, fishing and hunting; however, the boy also collected seals, envelopes, autographs, coins, etc.
These classes, in connection with mediocre school success, caused reproaches from respectable people and from the father.
In 1825, Charles Darwin entered the University of Edinburgh, where he remained for two years, preparing for a medical career, but without success.
Then he decided to become a priest, for which he entered Cambridge; but here he graduated without any distinction in the number of "oi polloi" (many).
For him, personal acquaintance with naturalists, visits to scientific societies and natural history excursions were much more important than book training.
At the University of Edinburgh, Darwin met geologist Ensworth and zoologists Coldstrom and Grant, whom he often accompanied to the seashore, where they collected marine animals.
The first (unpublished) work of Charles Darwin, which contained some of his observations, belongs to this time.
At Cambridge, he met Henslow, a botanist with extensive knowledge of other branches of natural science, who organized excursions in which Darwin himself took part.
By the end of his stay in Cambridge, Ch.
Darwin was already a naturalist collector, but he did not ask any specific questions.
Henslow recommended Darwin as a collector to Captain Fitzroy, who was undertaking a circumnavigation of the world on behalf of the government, on the ship "Beagle".
Charles stayed on the trip for five years (1831-1836) and got acquainted with nature in all its infinite variety.
The collections collected by Charles Darwin were processed by R. Owen (fossil mammals), Watergause (modern mammals), Gould (birds), Bell (reptiles and amphibians) and Jennins (insects); this general work is published under the title "Zoology of the Beagle's Journey".
Darwin himself took over the geological part of the journey.
The result of his research were: "On the structure and distribution of coral reefs" (1842), "Geological observations on the volcanic Islands" (1844) and "Geological investigations in South America" (1846).
Darwin explained the origin of the various forms of coral reefs gradual lowering of the seabed; in the highest degree simple and ingenious theory it quickly established itself in the Sciences, but in recent times has caused opposition from Murray and others.
Charles Darwin's geological studies, regardless of their actual value, provided a number of important explanations in favor of the new, for that time, theory of uniformitarianism, laid by Lyell at the basis of geology.
In addition to these special works, he published a diary of his journey ("Journey around the world on the ship Beagle", 2 vols., translated by Andrey Beketov) — a book remarkable for the richness of observations and simplicity of presentation.
These works brought Darwin fame in the circle of scientists.
Since then, he has devoted his energies entirely and exclusively to science.
Upon his return to England, Charles Darwin settled in London (where he married Emma Wedgwood in 1839), but poor health forced him to flee the city.
In 1842, he moved to the Doane Estate, where he lived almost continuously until his death.
The geological works mentioned above were followed by a number of special monographs devoted to the systematic treatment of the subclass of barnacles ("Monogr. of Cyrrhipedia", 2 vols., 1851-54;" M. of fossil Lepadidae", 1851;"M. of Balanidae". 1854), precious for the systematics of this group of animals.
Already during the trip, Charles Darwin focused his attention on such phenomena that cast a bright light on the process of development of the organic world.
Thus, he was interested in the animal population of oceanic islands (the Galopagos Islands, especially carefully studied by him in this regard, became a classic land in the eyes of naturalists), the geological succession of species.
His research in South America is especially important, thanks to which the relationship between the living South American armadillos, slow walkers, etc., and the fossil representatives of these groups on the same continent was clearly revealed.
But it was still only an unaccountable desire of a broad and inquisitive mind, involuntarily rushing to the most difficult and mysterious problems.
Only on his return from a trip in 1837, he asked himself the question of the origin of species and decided to start developing it.
In 1839, after reading Malthus ' book, he quite clearly formulated the idea of natural selection.
In 1842, Charles Darwin drew up the first draft of his theory; in 1844, a more detailed essay, which he read to his friend J. Hooker.
Then 12 years passed in collecting and processing the material, and only in 1856, Darwin, on the advice of Lyell, began to compile an "extract" from his work for printing.
God knows when he would see the light it's "extract" (designed for 3 to 4 t) if, in 1858 A. R. Wallace, engaged in natural history studies in the Malay archipelago, sent Darwin an article — contained in a concise and fluent, but distinct form, the same idea of natural selection, with a request to publish it in the journal of the Linnaean society.
Darwin consulted with friends who urged him to print along with the Wallace article is a brief extract from his work.
So he did, and then began to compile a more detailed essay, which was published in the following year, 1859, under the title: "Origin of species by means of natural selection" ("The origin of species by natural selection", transl. Rachinsky, 2nd ed., 1865).
The theory of Charles Darwin (the nature and significance of its laid out in article View VI, 24) was developed as thoroughly relied on such a mass of facts, and explained so many mysterious phenomena, finally pointed out so many new ways to explore, that is established in science with remarkable rapidity, in spite of fierce attacks from opponents of transformism.
She met the most hostile attitude in France, where she triumphed only by the end of the 70s.
Touching to the quick the current ideas about man, his origin, and so on, it naturally aroused talk in general literature, in the daily press, among theologians and others.
The terms "Darwinist", "Darwinism", "struggle for existence" became commonplace; the name of Darwin gained such popularity that no scientist ever got - in general, his theory made an unprecedented impression in the history of science.
The culprit of all this movement led a quiet, monotonous and secluded life on his estate.
The slightest fatigue, excitement, lively conversation responded extremely harmfully to his poor health.
It can be said that during the 40 years of his life in Down, there was not a single day when Charles Darwin felt completely healthy.
Only extreme regularity, caution and moderation in habits allowed him to live to a very old age.
Constant indisposition did not allow him to work much; but extreme accuracy and methodicality in his studies, and especially the perseverance with which he conducted his research for decades (for example, one of his experiments on earthworms lasted 29 years), compensated for the damage caused by the disease.
The hermit life of Charles Darwin was occasionally interrupted by trips to London, to relatives, to the seashore, etc., for rest and health improvement.
Often friends gathered to him Hooker, Lyell, Forbes, etc., and later, with the triumph of "Darwinism", Dawn began to attract visitors from the most remote countries.
The charming impression that Darwin made on the guests with his friendliness and simplicity, childlike kindness, deep sincerity and modesty, contributed no less to his popularity as a person than "The Origin of Species" and other books contributed to his fame as a scientist.
However, his moral personality was also reflected in the books: extreme leniency towards others and inexorable severity towards himself are their characteristic feature.
He himself was looking for weak points in his theories, and all the essential objections to natural selection were foreseen and analyzed by him in advance.
This scientific rigor and honesty of Darwin contributed not a little to the rapid success of his teaching.
Almost all of Charles Darwin's studies that appeared after the "Origin of Species" represent a further development of his theory in application to various questions of biology.
Let us list them by subject of research: the books "Adaptations of orchids to fertilization by insects" (1862), "The effect of self pollination and cross pollination in the plant kingdom" (1876) and "Different forms of flowers in plants of the same species" (1877) have clarified the biological significance of the flower and the mutual relations between insects and plants.
In the first of the named works, he showed that the bizarre and diverse forms of flowers in orchids represent the most amazing adaptations for fertilization with the help of insects transferring the bloom of one flower to the stigma of another; in the second, he proved experimentally the harm of constant self fertilization with respect to many plants and the need for cross pollination, which in most plants is performed thanks to insects attracted by flowers; in the third, he pointed out the existence of flowers in many plants of two or even three forms, representing a very convenient adaptation for cross pollination with the help of insects.
These works of Charles Darwin explained a whole world of phenomena that had remained incomprehensible until then.
What is a flower, why these bright, colorful petals, bizarre shapes, aroma, nectaries, etc.?
— There was nothing to answer all these questions.
Now all this was explained from the point of view of the benefits of cross pollination with the help of insects.
Darwin's research on cross fertilization has generated a huge literature.
Hildenbrand, Hermann Muller, Axel, Delpino, Lubbock, Fr. Muller and many other researchers have developed in all details this important chapter of biology.
In 1883, D'Arcy Thomson counted 714 works devoted to the fertilization of plants and caused by the works of Darwin.
Two voluminous books: "The movements and lifestyle of climbing plants" (1876) and "The Ability of plants to move" (1880) are devoted to the movements of climbing and climbing plants and the devices they possess for wrapping other people's stems, for attaching to walls, etc.
Charles Darwin reduces the various forms of these movements to the so called "circumnutation", i.e. the circular movement of the top of growing organs.
Circulation, imperceptible to the eye, is a common property of plants, and such phenomena that strike the eye in their expediency, such as the movement of the tops of climbing plants, the folding of mimosa leaves, etc., are only more developed forms of this elementary movement associated with it by gradual transitions.
Similarly, Charles Darwin was able to trace the transitions between various adaptations in the genus of tendrils, hooks, hooks that help a plant to hold on to foreign objects — and reduce them to the simplest form, from which they were developed by natural selection, which accumulated useful changes.
Next to botany include "Insectivorous plants" (1875).
The existence of insectivorous, carnivorous or rather (as some of them salavova and also eat small crustaceans, fish, etc.) was just installed Darwin, and explain the importance of a number of adaptations, what are foldable sheets flycatchers, bubbles Utricularia, glandular leaves of the sundew.
These works brought Darwin one of the first places among the botanists of our century.
He illuminated whole areas of phenomena that seemed dark and incomprehensible; he discovered a lot of new and striking facts.
In 1868, Charles Darwin published a huge labor "Domesticated animals and cultivated plants", ("The variations of animals and plants under domestication", translated by Vladimir Kovalevsky, 2, etc).
The first volume is a collection of data about artificial selection, the origin of animals and plants; the second describes the General issues arising from the data: the laws of heredity, the phenomenon of atavism, the effect of crossing in close range and etc., and the least successful of the hypotheses of Darwin's hypothesis of pangenesis, which he thought to explain heredity.
In 1871 Charles Darwin published the book "the descent of man and selection in relation to sex" (translation Sechenov, 1871).
In the first part of this book deals with the question of the origin of man from a low, APE like forms; the second was the theory of "sexual selection" according to which the features peculiar only to males — such as the spur of a rooster, lion mane, bright feathers and the musical abilities of birds, etc. — happened because of a fight or competition between males, as the strongest or the most beautiful have a chance to master the females and reproduce.
The book "On the expression of sensations in humans and animals" (1872) is an application of the theory of natural selection to such a seemingly capricious phenomenon as the play of physiognomy under the influence of various sensations.
Some expressions depend on known physiological processes and anatomical features of our body; others are adaptations inherited from distant ancestors; others are remnants of habits observed in higher animals, preserved in a semi — erased, rudimentary state, as some rudimentary organs have been preserved.
In his last book, published not long before Darwin's death, "The Formation of the vegetable earth thanks to worms" (1881, Russian translation by Menzbir), he showed by experiments, measurements and calculations what a huge work earthworms do on our soils and what useful value they have for the plant world.
As the theory of Charles Darwin spread and the result its results were found in countless works, in the rapid transformation of all branches of biology — - awards and distinctions from scientific societies and institutions were presented to him.
Darwin received (1864) the Copley Gold Medal from the Royal Society of London, the Prussian Order "Pour le merite" (1867), established by Friedrich Wilhelm IV to reward scientific and literary merits, honorary doctorates from the universities of Bonn, Breslau, Leiden, Cambridge (1877); he was elected a member of the St. Petersburg (1867), Berlin (1878), Paris (1878) academies (the latter awarded Darwin this differences in respect for his actual merits, and not "problematic hypotheses"), an honorary member of various scientific societies.
Meanwhile, his strength was weakening.
Charles Darwin was not afraid of death, but of senile decrepitude, loss of mind and ability to work.
Fortunately, he did not have to live to such a state.
At the end of 1881, he felt very ill, soon he could no longer leave the house, but he continued to study science and on April 17, 1882, he followed some experience.
On April 19, Charles Darwin died, at the age of 74.
His body was transferred to Westminster Abbey and buried next to Newton's tomb.
Of the scientists of the XIX century, hardly anyone had such a deep and universal influence as Charles Darwin.
By explaining the process of development of the organic world with the help of the theory of natural selection, he thereby brought triumph to the idea of evolutionism, which had been expressed for a long time, but had no place in science.
Whether the factors indicated by Darwin (the struggle for existence, variability and heredity) are sufficient to explain all the phenomena of development, or if further research will find new ones that are still unclear, the future will show, but future biology will remain evolutionary biology.
And other branches of knowledge, social sciences, anthropology, psychology, ethics, etc., have been transformed and are being transformed in the sense of evolutionism, so that Charles Darwin's book marks a new era not only in biology, but in general in the history of human thought. (Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary")
Awards and prizes
Royal Medal (1853); Wollaston Medal (1859); Copley Medal (1864).
Read more about Charles Darwin from another source:.
At the age of eight, Charles discovered a love and interest in nature.
He collected plants, minerals, shells, insects, even seals, autographs, coins, and the like, early became addicted to fishing and spent whole hours with a fishing rod, but especially loved hunting.
In 1825, convinced that Charles's schoolwork would not be of much use, his father took him out of the gymnasium and sent him to the University of Edinburgh to prepare for a medical career.
The lectures seemed unbearably boring to him.
Darwin remained in Edinburgh for two years.
Finally, when he was convinced that his son had no aptitude for medicine, his father suggested that he choose a spiritual career.
Darwin thought about it and agreed: in 1828 he entered the theological faculty of the University of Cambridge, intending to take the priesthood.
His studies here also retained the same character: very mediocre success in school subjects and diligent collection of collections — insects, birds, minerals, as well as hunting, fishing, excursions, observations of animal life.
In 1831, Charles Darwin left the university among the "many" - the so called students who completed the course satisfactorily, but without any special differences.
Professor of Botany John Henslow helped Darwin to make the final choice.
He noticed Darwin's abilities and offered him a place as a naturalist on an expedition to South America.
Before sailing, Darwin read the works
