Darwin Unit - Pitocchelli Lecture Outline

General outline of my lecture today

                  Why was Darwin important

                  Who was Charles Darwin

                  Development of the theory of evolution

Why was Darwin important

                  Productive scholar

                  Asked questions about life - origins

                  Answers would be extremely controversial

                                    Zeitgeist - Church and elite hold power

                                    Origin is already known - Bishop Usher

                                    Paley - adaptations of organisms are evidence of design by creator

                                    Beginning of the erosion of creation as an explanation of the origin

Who was Charles Darwin

                  Came from an affluent family

                  Early influences and development

                                    Major figures early in his life and when/where he met them

                                                      Erasmus Darwin - brother

                                                      Grant - mentor and professor in medical school

                                                      Sedgwick - mentor and professor at Christπs College

                                                      Henslow - mentor and professor at Christπs College

                                    Goes to Shrewsbury and turns to natural history

                                                      Brother Erasmus - brother, mentor, friend

                                                                        Provides constant support throughout his life

                                    Pulled out of school and sent to medical school

                                                      Meets Grant

teaches him the rudiments of being a scientist marine inverts

Espouses Lamarckism - alternate idea to Creationism

Pay attention to detail

Ask questions, question authority

                                    Drops out of medical school and sent to school to become vicar

                                                      Meets Sedgwick (geology), Henslow

                                                                        Sedgwick - crash course in Geology, field work in Wales

                                                                        Henslow - introduction and overview of botany

Model figure for Darwin - scientist, naturalist, vicar

                                                      Finishes schooling, passes final comprehensive exam, 10^th in class

The Voyage of the Beagle

                  Mission of the Beagle

                  Darwinπs mission

                  Voyage and collections

                  Immediate impact of his experience on the Beagle

                                    Time and the age of the earth

                                    Geology and Fossils

                                    Diversity of recent species

                                    Geography and species groups

                                    Herschel

Synthesis of the theory of evolution - 3 major events

                  Divides his collection up among the experts

                                    Uses the results of their work as evidence of evolution

                  Conducts research - classic example of scientist

                                    Literature - voracious appetite for reading

                                    Consults experts

                                    Joins scientific societies

                                    Makes observations

                  Publishes theory of evolution

                  Faces the music

Download Powerpoint Lecture here