• Charles Darwin (1809–1882)
• English naturalist who first suggested an explanation for why evolution occurred
• Published in 1859, On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection
• Charles Darwin’s work on evolution challenged established worldviews
• Darwin proposed a mechanism for evolutionary change called natural selection
• Darwin’s hypothesis for evolutionary change, after much testing, eventually became accepted as theory

Darwin proposed a mechanism for evolutionary change called natural selection

• Darwin voyaged from 1831–1836 on the HMS Beagle, a ship mapping the world’s coastlines
• Darwin observed firsthand different plants and animals in various locales
• These observations played an important role in the development of his thoughts about the nature of life on earth