Darwin arrived at his theory during his five year scientific expedition on the survey ship HMS Beagle. He read Lyell's 'Principles of Geology', which explain that fossils are evidence of animals that lived millions of years ago. Darwin reinforced this argument by observing the affluent diversity of animal life and biological features throughout his voyage. He noticed that every island had its own kind of finch, which were closely associated to others around the world, but at the same time singular in significant ways.
His theory of natural selection suggested that different species develop certain traits that are passed on to the next generation (the offspring). This certain traits will allow the offspring of specie to survive in their surrounding environment. In other words, this theory is about "the survival of the fittest". The strongest specie would survive, while that the weakest specie would become extinct.
It took Darwin 20 years to publish his theory. His book 'On the origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection', was extremely controversial among society. This is because it went against religion. His theory opposed the accepted belief on the how the world was created. Charles Darwin was continually attacked, especially by the Church. Back then, everyone in Great Britain was very religious and had a strong belief in the existence of God.
Charles Darwin went through a lot of anguish over developing his theory. This was because there was another guy named Russel Wallace, who came up with a similar theory. Luckily, he got the credit for the hard work at the end. He died peacefully knowing that he made one of the greatest discoveries in history on April 19, 1882.
WORKS CITED:
"Charles Darwin." http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/darwin_charles.shtml . 25 August 2010.
"Theory of Natural Selection." http://www.biology-online.org/2/10_natural_selection.htm . 25 August 2010.
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