Darwin Reaches Galapagos: Seeds of Evolution Planted
HMS Beagle anchored at San Cristobal (Chatham Island) in the Galapagos on September 15, 1835, and the 26-year-old Charles Darwin began five weeks of intensive collecting. He noticed that mockingbirds differed between islands and that giant tortoises had differently shaped shells depending on which island they inhabited. At the time, he didn't understand the significance. It was only after returning to England and consulting ornithologist John Gould, who identified thirteen distinct species of finches from Darwin's collection, that the pattern clicked: isolated populations on different islands had adapted to different ecological niches. This evidence of divergence from common ancestors became the cornerstone of On the Origin of Species, published 24 years later in 1859.
September 15, 1835
191 years ago
Key Figures & Places
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