ANTH 210 Lecture Notes - Lecture 8: In Patagonia, Her Majesty'S Ship, Natural Selection
3 May 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
Lecture'8'–'Darwin,'Evolution'&'Primates'''''''''''''''''''08/02/18'
CHARLES(DARWIN(&(THE(THEORY(OF(EVOLUTION(BY(NATURAL(SELECTION(
• Charles(Darwin((1809'–'1882)(
o An'unremarkable'young'student,'he'showed'an'early'interest'in'nature(
o Reluctantly'studies'medicine'(Edinburgh)'&'later,'theology'(Cambridge)(
o While'at'Cambridge,'Darwin'starts'collecting'beetles'(
o In'1831,'Darwin’s'introduced'to'Captain'Robert'FitzRoy'of'the'H.M.S.'Beagle'
through'Henslow'(his'friend),'who'
was'seeking'a'naturalist'for'a'survey'
voyage(
§ Sets'sail'from'Plymouth,'UK'
on'December'27th,'1831'on'a'
5-year'mission'to'conduct'an'
extensive'hydrographic(
survey'of'Patagonia,'Tierra'de'
Fuego'&'Chile(
o Naturalist'='early'form'of'science'that'looked'at'the'variety'of'creation'(still'
based'on'a'belief'of'God)(
o After'the'Beagle,'Darwin'would'reflect'on'two'key'conclusions'he’d'drawn'from'
his'time'on'the'ship:(
1) In%nature,%there%is%fierce%competition%for%resources%
a. Not'everyone'can'have'everything'because'there'isn’t'enough(
2) Minute%differences%among%individuals%may%be%advantageous%%
o On'the'trip,'he'was'able'to'observe'the'environmental'differences'at'different'
latitudes'of'the'Earth.'
o In'South'America,'he'got'info'on:'
§ Geology:'
• In'Patagonia,'there'was'an'earthquake'that'revealed'a'lot'of'strata'
• This'gave'him'the'idea'that'things'take'a'long'time'to'change'
§ Biological'variation:'
• E.g.'Galapagos'Islands'(the'finches'with'different'shaped'beaks)'
o Darwin’s'1837'sketch'of'the'“Tree'of'Life”'outlined'his'theory'of'all'life’s'descent'
from'an'original'ancestor'
§ The'details'would'not'be'worked'out'for'some'years,'this'was'the'
foundation'of'natural'selection'as'a'theory'
Document Summary
Lecture 8 darwin, evolution & primates 08/02/18. In 1831, darwin"s introduced to captain robert fitzroy of the h. m. s. Beagle through henslow (his friend), who was seeking a naturalist for a survey voyage. Sets sail from plymouth, uk on december 27th, 1831 on a. 5-year mission to conduct an extensive hydrographic survey of patagonia, tierra de. In patagonia, there was an earthquake that revealed a lot of strata: this gave him the idea that things take a long time to change. Galapagos islands (the finches with different shaped beaks: darwin"s 1837 sketch of the tree of life outlined his theory of all life"s descent from an original ancestor. Darwin"s finches: fitness = reproductive success, not actual physical fitness (advantageous traits, what are selective pressures, competition for food/energy, environmental changes, predators, parasites, competition for a mate. Nature is not influencing the process, but personal selection is.
