What is the significance of the beagle to darwin’s theory of evolution

He proposed a theory about the formation of atolls. Atolls are coral reefs that form small islands that enclose a lagoon. They are found mostly in the Pacific. An example is Bikini Atoll located northwest of Hawaii. Darwin proposed that the foundation for the atoll was a volcano that was sinking because of its weight. As the volcano sinks, coral reefs that rim the volcano grow upwards. Darwin developed his theory from findings he made following a five-year expedition on board HMS Beagle.

Charles Darwin was born on 12 February in Shrewsbury, England. From to , Darwin — then a trainee Anglican parson — served as an unpaid naturalist on a science expedition on board HMS Beagle.

At the end of , the Beagle sailed for South America where she completed extensive surveys, returning via New Zealand in The expedition visited many places around the world and Darwin studied the various plants and animals, collecting specimens for further analysis. In South America, Darwin found fossils of extinct animals that were similar to modern species. Furthermore, on the Galapagos Islands he noticed many variations of plants and animals that were similar to those he found in South America, suggesting that species adapted over time and to their environment.

The trip was an almost five-year adventure and the ship returned to Falmouth, England, on October 2, Throughout South America, Darwin collected a variety of bird specimens. One key observation Darwin made occurred while he was studying the specimens from the Galapagos Islands. He noticed the finches on the island were similar to the finches from the mainland, but each showed certain characteristics that helped them to gather food more easily in their specific habitat.

He collected many specimens of the finches on the Galapagos Islands. These specimens and his notebooks provided Darwin with a record of his observations as he developed the theory of evolution through natural selection. Have students work in pairs to use the map and the resources in the explore more tab to create a social media feed that includes five dates and posts from the expedition.

Students may need to conduct additional research to ensure their proposed posts are factual and something Darwin would have seen on the trip. Help students brainstorm ideas for their posts by asking: What types of animals would Darwin have seen? Are any of them extinct today? What types of plants did he note? What types of geology did he see? What would you imagine some of the hardships the explorers would have encountered on this voyage?

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