Charles Darwin travelled the world on HMS Beagle from 1831-1836. During his journey he made several important observations which shaped his Theory of Natural Selection as a Mechanism for evolution of species.

1. VOYAGE OF DARWIN
Presentation by RUCHIRA AGARWAL
BSc. (H) ZOOLOGY (3rd Year)

2. • Charles Darwin was born in Shrewsbury, England
on February 12, 1809
• A keen observer from young age, Darwin loved to
read books on fishing, hunting and collecting
insects.
• He studied medicine at Edinburgh University but
later switched to divinity at Cambridge.
ABOUT CHARLES DARWIN

3. • At Cambridge, Darwin became favourite of botany professor,
John Henslow, who paved his way for voyage on HMS Beagle as
a naturalist.
• In December 1831, at the young age of 22, Darwin got an
opportunity to travel by HMS Beagle for a voyage of world
exploration, planned by British Admirality.

4.  The vessel was commanded by
British naval officer Robert
Fitzroy and carried a crew on
a survey mission that
circumnavigated the world
between 1831 and 1836.
HMS BEAGLE

5.  While the survey work was carried out, Darwin travelled and researched geology,
natural history and ethnology onshore.

6. Darwin visited Brazilian tropical rainforests and
other new habitats where he collected samples
and made meticulous field notes of the great
diversity of life to send back home.
FIELD NOTES AND SAMPLE COLLECTIONS

7. OBSERVATIONS MADE BY DARWIN
DURING THE VOYAGE

8. 1.FOSSILS OF EXTINCT MAMMALS

9.  Darwin dug up fossils of gigantic extinct animals and manhandled skulls,
femurs, and armour plates back to the ship, he assumed,
of rhinoceros, cow-sized armadillos, and giant ground sloths.
 He unearthed a horse-sized mammal with a long face like an anteater’s.
 This was hard evidence that organisms looked very different in the past.
It suggested that living things—like Earth’s surface—change over time.

10. Darwin experienced an earthquake that lifted the ocean floor 2.7 meters
above sea level and found rocks containing fossil sea shells in mountains high
above sea level.
These observations suggested that continents and oceans had changed
dramatically over time and continue to change in dramatic ways.
2.GEOLOGIC ACTIVITY HAS OCCURRED OVER TIME

11. 3.VARIATION IN FLORA AND FAUNA
Different islands which are widely separated but have
similar climate and topography have different flora and
fauna.
He observed that plants and animals living in the temperate
regions of South America are much different than those
from temperate regions of Europe

12. 4.OBSERVATIONS ON THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS
Darwin’s most important observations were made on the Galápagos Islands.
This is a group of 16 small volcanic islands 966 kilometers (600 miles) off the
west coast of Ecuador, South America.

13. 14 species of Galápagos finches that evolved from a common ancestor but
differing from each other.The different shapes of their bills, suited to
different diets and habitats, show the process of adaptive radiation.
A) DARWIN’S FINCHES & ADAPTIVE RADIATION

14. A "saddle-back" Galapagos Tortoise that inhabits drier areas of the islands and has a longer
neck and a high peak to the front edge of its shell, this enables it to stretch it neck further
out and obtain food higher up off the ground.
A “dome-shell” Galapagos Tortoise that occurs on the well-watered parts of the islands
with short, cropped vegetation has gently curved front edges to its shell and a short neck.
B) TORTOISES ADAPTED TO HABITAT

15. • On the last leg of the voyage Darwin finished his 770-page
diary, wrapped up 1,750 pages of notes, drew up 12 catalogs of
his 5,436 skins, bones and carcasses.
• Eventually his observations during and post voyage paved way
to his famous book “ THE ORIGIN OF SPECIES”

16. ‘The voyage of the Beagle has been by far the most important event in
my life, and has determined my whole career. Everything about which I
thought or read was made to bear directly on what I had seen or was
likely to see; and this habit of mind was continued during the five years
of the voyage. I feel sure that it was this training which has enabled me
to do whatever I have done in science.’ - The life and letters of
Charles Darwin, 1887

17. THANK YOU!