The Darwin Evolution Iceberg Explained

Charles Darwin, a man one of my history teachers described as quote, maybe the most important scientist of the 1800s, and possibly, without debate, the most important man in all of the life sciences. Everything I have ever talked about on this channel is directly due to his impact. In short, there's a good reason he has some 208 insect species named after him. Yes, I counted. To no one's surprise, Darwin's life and studies were packed with interesting details rarely ever talked about. I mean, we've seen the face, but really, who was Charles Darwin? How did he live, and what were his aspirations? As well, the extent of his studies can be underestimated. As we will see, the ideas of evolution and natural selection, as well as some of Darwin's less famous accomplishments, had far-reaching implications for the people of the time. If only there was some way to communicate all of this obscure trivia in descending manner with an intriguing infographic. This iceberg image, as they are called on the internet, was made by the Instagram page Extinct Animal Facts, and he generously gave me the privilege of publishing a video explaining the entries. If you've never seen these videos, the little entries represent different factoids about a subject, with the surface-level entries being mainstream, while the deeper you go, the more obscure the knowledge. There's a lot to cover, so let's start with a review of the fundamentals of Darwin's and evolution's story. But before we hop in, I must warn all my fellow scientists-to-be, this video gets pretty... demotivating. I mean, Darwin and all of his buddies discovered so much, but these men were all super well-off from families and dynasties that could support them looking at barnacles all day. If only I, too, could be a lord. Oh, I am. And you can, too. Introducing Established Titles. 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For every purchase, they plant a tree somewhere around the world, something every naturalist supports. Established Titles is actually running a massive early Black Friday sale right now. Plus, if you use the code BUDGETMUSEUM, you get an additional 10% off. Go to establishedtitles.com slash budgetmuseum to get your gifts now and help support the channel. I was told in a dream that the first 200 people to purchase a pack using my code get a plot of land near to mine. Maybe someday we may form the greatest society of gents in all of Scotland and finally make a name for ourselves. All thanks to, once more, Established Titles. Origin of Species On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection is Charles Darwin's most popular scientific work. Published on the 24th of November, 1859 by John Murray, the book revolutionized science during the Victorian era and explains how populations evolve over the course of generations through natural selection. The book also touches on subjects like heredity, variations, geographical distribution, artificial selection, classification, the geologic record, etc. The Voyage of the HMS Beagle Darwin participated in the second expedition of HMS Beagle, a 10-gun break under Captain Robert Fitzroy between 1831 to 1836. They visited Cape Verde, Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina, the Falkland Islands, Chile, the Galapagos Islands, Tahiti, New Zealand, and many more. During this voyage, Darwin collected many biological and geological specimens, made several observations on the cultures and climates of the regions, and wrote more than 1,700 pages of notes which were later used in his works. Darwin's Finches Maybe the most iconic graphic of evolution ever made, Darwin collected several specimens of finches in the Galapagos Islands. Their highly adapted beaks to different food sources and relation with other South American species convinced Darwin that animals could change through time Evolutionary Tree In Darwin's Transmutation Notebook B, page 36, there is an abstract diagram of what is today known as the Tree of Life. Darwin criticized classifications at his time and suggested a classification based on ancestry. In Origin of Species, Darwin developed this idea and drew another diagram. Fun fact, Darwin wrote, I think, on the top left of the tree. The Descent of Man The Descent of Man, and selections in relation to sex, is Darwin's work on the evolution of human and sexual selection. Published on the 24th of February, 1871, the book discusses several issues such as races, embryology, origins of religion and ethics, differences between sexes and their origins, anthropology, etc. Darwin showed that there was no great gap between humans and animals. Also, all races of humans were not different species. Charles Lyell Lyell was a close friend of Darwin, and both men were large influences on each other. Lyell is most famous for his geology work and is one of the first to suggest Earth's climate and geography are caused by a slow but incremental change to the natural world, an idea that stuck with Darwin for all of his thinking. Darwin lays a lot of credit for his ideas at Lyell's feet and said his books came, quote, half from Lyell's brain. Ironically, Lyell was skeptical about the theory of evolution when Darwin first published it, although slowly came around to accepting it. Joseph Dalton Hooker Darwin's best bud in the whole wide world. A botanist, Hooker traveled far and wide in many important voyages, from the Himalayas to the American West. He was one of the few men to ever hear and discuss Darwin's theories before they were published, supplying Darwin with various plans for experiments on incremental change after he published The Origin of Species. Of all Darwin's surviving correspondence letters, 10% are addressed directly to Hooker, and both Darwin's and Hooker's families were extremely close. Emma Wedgwood Darwin's loving wife, who he had 10 kids with, 7 surviving to adulthood. She was a devoted Unitarian, and despite the bond between their religious views, she always worried about Charles' faith in the afterlife. She was an angel of a woman. Emma gave lessons to village children, took care of her mother, and later for Charles and her children as a nurse. I wonder how Darwin met her? Thomas Huxley Another Victorian zoologist and paleontologist, he is most known now as Darwin's bulldog. As Darwin avoided heated confrontation, it was Huxley, who after befriending Darwin in the 50s, would viciously defend Darwinian theory the minute Origin of Species was published. Darwin seemingly appreciated Huxley's aggressive defense, and Huxley seemingly enjoyed shouting at bishops. Plus, for any paleontology people out there, he was the first person to link dinosaurs as an ancestor of birds with the discovery of Archaeopteryx. Richard Owen This Ebenezer Scrooge-looking guy may be most famous for coining the term dinosaur, as well as his many other contributions to biology and paleontology. But to Darwin, he was an arch-rival, highly critical of the theory of evolution, and threw many an insult about how stupid it is to pretend humans derived from apes. Owen's actual views on evolution are hazy. It was possible he supported evolution in some form, but his constant feuds with Darwin and Huxley have made him out to be more anti-evolution than he actually was. Still a brilliant man, just maybe not the most polite. As Darwin said, No one fact tells so strongly against Owen as that he has never reared one pupil or follower. Brutal. Darwin's family Charles was born into a large and influential family. His grandfathers, Erasmus Darwin and Josiah Wedgwood, founder of Wedgwood Pottery, were so closely related that their kids' marrying was considered first cousin marriage. Their kids, Robert Darwin and Susanna Wedgwood, were Chuck's parents. Robert Darwin was a free-thinker doctor in Shropshire, also, quote, the biggest man that Darwin had ever seen. They had six kids, Marianne, Caroline, Sarah, Susan Elizabeth, Erasmus, Alvy, Charles, Robert, and Emily Catherine. This family still lives today. Alfred Russell Wallace One of the most interesting characters in the entire Darwin story. Starting life as a poor tradesman, Wallace soon found his way into natural sciences, and eventually was one of the most traveled English scientists of his day, with an expansive collection of hundreds of thousands of animal specimens, many unknown to any Europeans. When he began corresponding with Darwin, both men realized that, get this, they had conceived of the idea of natural selection independently. This spurred Darwin to send in a joint paper about his theories with Wallace's name attached to them, followed by The Origin of Species a year later. Although Darwin heavily credited Wallace in his writings and even wrote to Wallace to take more credit, Wallace stayed away from ever claiming the spotlight with Darwin, and always seemed to relinquish the theory of natural selection to Darwin. Later in life, Wallace would dabble in many things, including spiritualism, women's suffrage, survival of the fittest mentality, and socialism, Darwin's acceptance to HMS Beagle. After returning from a hunting trip, Darwin got a letter from Henslow and George Peacock, informing him about a voyage to South America. After the first captain of the HMS Beagle, Pringles Stokes, committed suicide, the new captain Robert Fitzroy wanted a young, gentlemanly naturalist companion for his next voyage to not share the same fate. This was astonishing for Darwin. He had been planning a trip to the Canary Islands, but it failed. After convincing his father with the help of his uncle, he went to London. When he arrived, he met with the captain and the crew, and Fitzroy almost rejected Darwin. He was obsessed with physiognomy, and said Darwin's nose foretold a lack of energy and determination. Nevertheless, Darwin was accepted, and the rest is history. The Oxford Evolution Debate In 1860, after a presentation of a paper in the Oxford University Museum, one of the great nerd-offs of history occurred. The main participants were Darwinian thinkers, led by Thomas Huxley, and traditional Anglicans, who still rejected evolution, led by Bishop Wilberforce. As with many nerd debates, both sides left thinking they clearly won. The legacy of the argument is as a manifestation of religion versus science, and as one of the first times in history when Christianity was directly questioned by science in a public setting. Westminster Funeral Darwin died on April 19, 1882, and was planned to be buried in St. Mary's Church near his brother and babies. Soon after, Darwin's son, Francis Darwin, and 20 members of Parliament addressed a letter to the Dean of Westminster Abbey for Darwin to be buried in the church. The Abbey is one of the most notable churches in all of England, and where many important figures in British history are buried. The Dean accepted, and Darwin's funeral was attended by many distinguished people from various countries and universities. Darwin was buried in the Abbey next to Isaac Newton. More than a century later, Stephen Hawking's ashes were buried next to him, representing some of the most legendary scientists in British history. Asa Gray Asa Gray was a professor of botany during Darwin's time and the most important American botanist of the 1800s. Gray was one of the first major supporters of Darwin and helped argue evolution in the States, as well as unite the taxonomy of plants in North America. Now, he did not agree with Darwin on everything. In the 300 surviving letters between the two men, Gray and Darwin civilly debated what was behind the force of natural selection. If Huxley was Darwin's bulldog, then Gray was Darwin's dove. He believed that a creator guided evolution and his collections of essays, known as the Darwiniana, is an important example in showing how evolution and religion do not have to be opposing viewpoints. Herbert Spencer The impact of Darwin's theories is not all positive. Herbert Spencer was an English intellectual who studied many subjects, but his most famous thinking was connecting Darwin's views on the evolution of species to racial and societal differences, a term known as Social Darwinism. Spencer coined the term, survival of the fittest, and his views are synonymous with the rise of scientific racism and the justification of imperialism. He died, perhaps the most popular British scientist of his time. Darwin's houses Darwin owned several houses, but the most famous was the Down House. In this rural house in Kent, Darwin would work on his theory of natural selection and decades later would die here at an old age. His two other places of residence aren't nearly as famous. His first house with Emma was located in London, and they would call it the Macaw Cottage due to its colorful interior. Even before this, Darwin lived on Great Marlborough Street, which housed many of Britain's elite scientists. Fuegians Fuegians is the term used for the indigenous people of Tierra del Fuego at the southernmost point of South America. In its first voyage, HMS Beagle Captain Robert Fitzroy took several Fuegians hostage in retaliation for an earlier altercation. Despite the escape of some of the captives, the remaining ones were taken by Fitzroy to England as part of what he called an evangelical experiment, where they would be, quote, civilized, by inducting them into English culture and had them Christianized, with the eventual goal being to return them home in the hope they would act as missionaries. There were two adults, but one died, a girl and a boy. They were named York Minster, Fuegia Basket, and Jemmy Button, as his father had sold him for a shiny button. How did the mission go? It didn't. After two years in England, when they sailed back to South America along with Darwin, York and Fuegia immediately sold Jemmy's valuables and left him. Later on that ship's return in 1834, they saw Jemmy Button with his wife, completely naked, just like the others. Fuegians had a great effect on Darwin's view of natives, and unfortunately not entirely in a good way. The Autobiography Darwin wrote an autobiography in his later years in 1876 for his family. That's about it. Action of Worms Full name, The Formation of Vegetable Mold through the Actions of Worms with Observations on Their Habits, is Darwin's last scientific work and was published shortly after his death. Darwin had a fascination with worms. He was mesmerized by their behavior, and ever grateful for their recycling abilities. The work covers the behavior of worms and the effect they have on soil and sediments, and as with most of Darwin's work, focuses on how incremental, worm-sized change can create a large impact over time. Darwin's Education Surprisingly, Darwin's story can be pretty relatable. Charles did not have the most straightforward path to his ultimate destiny. When only 16, Darwin was sent to the University of Edinburgh to become a physician. Darwin complained a lot about his lectures and professors, would grow more interested in natural history, and seemed completely averse to going into medicine, when, hey, he figured out he doesn't like blood. Frustrated, his dad then sent him to Cambridge to become a minister. Here, Darwin's mentors continued to espouse intelligent design, as Chuck struggled with grades and classes. Eventually, he passed the exams in 10th place. At this time, he met with scientists-slash-clergymen, John Stevens Henslow and Adam Sedwick. They taught Darwin botany, natural history, and geology. Malthus You have probably heard of Malthus's cynical views on the human population. Malthus believed there was a cycle to population growth, where abundant food would cause population growth, which would eliminate the abundance, and thus this new larger population would starve, leaving us in a hellish cycle, forever. How does this affect Darwin and his studies? Well, even though Malthus was long dead by the time Origin was published, his views on population pressures would inspire natural selection. After all, if there are pressures on people that manage their populations, maybe these same pressures could exist in other species. Ernst Teichel Hey, ever feel like you're overachieving? Ernst Teichel was a German naturalist, zoologist, marine biologist, philosopher, physician, and artist. He discovered and described thousands, yes, thousands of new species, came up with an early tree of life, and coined the word ecology. Oh, and his importance to the Darwin story is his key role in introducing the Brits' ideas to German science, and even adding his theory of recapitulation, that you can trace an animal's evolutionary journey through its embryonic development. Truly a great man, and one of, uh, well, books about the voyage. Before Origin of Species, Darwin gained popularity through a book commonly known as The Voyage of the Beagle, a journal filled with accounts of his time on the Beagle and his scientific observations. Yet the book was originally a three-in-one package, with two other important accounts about the Beagle's voyages. The first book in the series was about the first voyage under Commander Philip King, the second book was about the second voyage from Captain Fitzroy's perspective, and the third book, originally titled Journals and Remarks, was by Darwin. Later, Darwin superintended and edited The Zoology of the Voyage of HMS Beagle, a five-volume book about fossil mammals, Darwin's Fossils Darwin took many things from his Beagle expedition, including fossils. Specifically, many fossil mammals were unknown to science at the time and were later inspected by Richard Owen. The mammal species include several giant sloths and the oddball evolutionary enigma, Toxodon. These specimens sparked many questions in Darwin, such as why these long-extinct creatures were clearly similar to living animals, or how the Earth was repopulated after an extinction. Unfortunately, Darwin's fossil collection was destroyed in World War II by an air raid. Darwin's Sickness Although several symptoms appeared before the voyage, during and after the Beagle expedition, Darwin suffered sporadically from a mystery illness. Symptoms include essentially everything uncomfortable, and according to Darwin, most commonly appeared after stressful situations. He tried numerous treatments, most notably hydropathy, which just involves constantly soaking and drinking water, although mostly no treatment worked for long. Nowadays, people speculate on Charles' mystery illness, diagnosing him either with some disease he contracted from the Beagle voyage, mental disorders, and even just simple lactose intolerance. Darwin's Children Charles and Emma had ten children, but only seven of them lived for over ten years. They were William Erasmus, Anne Elizabeth, Mary Eleanor, Henrietta Emma, George Howard, Elizabeth, Francis, Leonard, Horace, and Charles Waring. Mary and Charles Waring died in infancy, but Annie's death of tuberculosis in 1851, when she was ten years old, had a devastating effect on Darwin's religious views. Their other children were not so healthy either. They fell ill often due to the consequences of inbreeding. Charles was a devoted father to his children and took care of them with Emma. They became distinguished economists and scientists, and three of them were knighted. Samuel Wilberforce Remember that bishop that argued with Huxley in the Oxford debate? This is him. Samuel Wilberforce, nicknamed Soapy Sam for, uh, some reason, was an English bishop and said to be one of the greatest public speakers of his day. Of course, with such a close connection to the church, Wilberforce denied the ideas of evolution Erasmus Darwin Erasmus Robert Darwin, or as we call him in the States, E. Rob, was the grandfather of Charles Darwin and an accomplished scientist in his own right. Erasmus was primarily a physician and physiologist, but a prolific philosopher and poet as well. Furthermore, Erasmus was a founding member of the Lunar Society of Birmingham, a discussion group whose members included several philosophers and industrialists, and is credited as a major contributing intellectual factor behind the Industrial Revolution in England. If you thought he was all good, Erasmus was a massive womanizer. Men had 14 children from three women, and he also suggested sex for hypochondriac patients. He died on the 18th of April, 1802, 80 years and one day before Charles' own death. Glutton Darwin The Glutton Club, of which Darwin was a member, was a group of students devoted to eating quote, birds and beasts which were unknown to the human palate. According to a fellow student, Darwin apparently kept this habit throughout his journeys, and is believed to have dined on puma, rayas, agouti, old owl, which is not some weird species, just owl meat that had gone stale, and even the famous giant tortoises. His crew would even prepare unusual meat choices for his meals, although he is reported to have avoided anything that was yet unclassified as science. These dinings are how Darwin discovered the lesser raya, from unknowingly eating it. Darwin Industry The Darwin industry refers to a field of study by historians of science to the intricacies of Charles Darwin's life, work, and influences. It was originally used as a self-designation of scholars in the latter half of the 20th century who re-evaluated Darwin, as well as studied his manuscripts and correspondences. Though sometimes the term is used with a negative connotation to ridicule the perceived overabundance of research on more and more banal aspects of Darwin and his work. Personally, I have no idea what they're talking about. Darwin's Nicknames Darwin accrued a variety of nicknames over the course of his life, each with a specific story behind it, including, but not limited to, Gas, Flycatcher, Phylos, Sage of Down, Saint of Science, Stoltus the Fool, The Man Who Walks with Henslow, and various derivatives. Jenny the Orangutan Lady Jane, better known as Jenny, was an orangutan kept at the London Zoo in the late 1830s. She is well remembered for not only being the first of her kind at the zoo, but also for meeting Charles Darwin in 1838, who compared her expressions to that of a human child. The meeting would further cement the idea in Darwin's mind that humans had been created from animals, and that after meeting Jenny, an animal, no man could, quote, boast of his proud preeminence. She died in 1939 from sickness. The X Club Though not himself a member, or even an associate, Darwin was a massive influence on the X Club, a dining club founded in November 1863 by several British scientists including Huxley, Hooker, Tyndall, Lubbock, and Spencer, all strong advocates for his theories of natural selection, as well as academic liberalism. The club members were all good friends and were originally founded primarily to keep the ties between the members as such. Over the course of its existence, the club and its members carried quite a degree of influence over scientific thought, despite its primary purpose being to maintain friendships. One of their journals was Nature, which, if you didn't know, is one of the most important scientific journals today. The group was dismantled in 1893. Francis Galton Sir Francis Galton was Darwin's half-cousin and fellow scientist, and showed an interest in many fields, including statistics, sociology, psychology, tropical exploration, invention, anthropology, geography, meteorology, psychometrics, and perhaps most famously, early genetics. He's also the man who suggested Darwin's burial in Westminster Abbey. Despite several notable achievements, Galton is probably most remembered for coining the term eugenics, and as a proponent of both social Darwinism and scientific racism. Even with an occasional strain in their relationship, often arising from scientific argument, Darwin and Galton maintained regular correspondence and a steady friendship. But never forget, huge racist. William Darwin Fox Reverend William Darwin Fox was another cousin of Darwin's, as well as a clergyman and naturalist. Not to be confused with the paleontologist of the same name, who was also, more confusingly, a reverend. Darwin Fox was a contributor to the understanding of geology, specifically that of the Solent and the Isle of Wight, as well as a frequent correspondent with his cousin. Charles Darwin used much of the information Fox provided in their correspondence in his works. Robert Edmund Grant Robert Edmund Grant was a preeminent naturalist in the early 19th century, and was a significant influence on a young Charles Darwin. In the 1820s, Grant was a teacher at Edinburgh University, Darwin being his keenest student, who assisted him in collecting specimens, and Grant exposed him to the sciences, such as bringing him to the Warnian Society meetings. However, Grant once stole Darwin's research and published it as his own work. This event caused Darwin to sour on Grant as a mentor. Darwin further distanced himself from Grant after the voyage, as Grant was known as a scientific and social radical. But Grant never forgot his student. After the publication of Origin, he praised the book and dedicated his book on animal classification to Darwin. Wasp During his voyage, Darwin encountered a parasitic wasp, which deeply disturbed him. The wasps in question paralyze their prey and then inject their eggs into them where said eggs then hatch and the resulting larvae eat the victim inside out. This effect is so extreme that it sometimes results in the host zombifying under the influence of the wasp. After studying the wasps, Darwin has said to have been so disturbed that it shook his faith in the idea that God was directing evolution. Geologist Darwin Despite his fame in the realm of biology, and rightly so, his first significant scientific works were in the field of geology. During his time at the university, he was involved in numerous geological excursions as well as attending geological lectures. After graduating, Darwin participated in a geologic tour in North Wales, where he wrote a collection of notes still conserved in Cambridge University's library today. And over the course of his career, Darwin wrote 1,383 pages of notes concerning geology compared to just 368 on zoology. Darwin's Mockingbirds While Darwin's finches are perhaps his most famous ornithological specimens, his Galapagos mockingbirds may just be as, if not more important to his discoveries. Much like the finches, Darwin was quick to notice the subtle differences in the mockingbirds from island to island, and he set about collecting specimens. Again, like the finches, he concluded that they likely had a common ancestor hailing from the South American continent. However, he went a step further with the mockingbirds, concluding that all mockingbirds were subject to common descent based on strong similarities between all known species. The Vestiges of Natural History of Creation The Vestiges of Natural History of Creation is a book by Robert Chambers, anonymously published in 1844 and dealing heavily with natural history and philosophy. The Vestiges was so famous that at the time, even Prince Albert read it aloud to Queen Victoria. The book discussed the transmutation of species in a progressive way for the time, although rather inaccurately. This book was heavily criticized by many people including Adam Sedgwick, Huxley, Wilberforce, and Charles Darwin himself. But the book was essential to prepare Victorian society for Darwin's theory. Church's Apology 126 years after his death, the Church of England finally thought it was time to apologize to Charles Darwin. In 2008, the Church wrote a statement to the long-dead scientist, essentially saying, Hey man, sorry some of us hate your ideas of evolution. We just thought all of your newfangled thinking would make us irrelevant, but really there's no reason why we all can't just get along. This apology was widely mocked, as the Church itself had never seriously persecuted Darwin in any way. Really, the letter was a way to remove the common misunderstanding that there was a conflict between the Church and Chuck. Of course, the fact they published an apology to him seems to confirm a conflict existed, but I digress. Funnily enough, the Catholic Church said they don't owe an apology to Darwin. Darwin's religious views, even though the God Emperor of Internet Atheists everywhere, Darwin's views on religion are not very well known. Darwin was incredibly cautious with revealing his religious views, not ever wanting to offend the public, and even his still rather religious wife. The most direct answer he ever gave was up in his autobiography, Near the End of His Life, where he pretty simply said he grew up Anglican and slowly became, quote, agnostic, as he aged. Of course, his definition of agnostic was not well defined, and his religious beliefs, according to Darwin, were in a state of flux. John Lubbock. Lubbock was a very wealthy and well-connected banker and politician, but to the story of Darwin, was a neighbor and helpful friend. Living right next to the Darwin's downhouse in Kent, Darwin consistently asked for Lubbock's advice and help, such as reviewing over work and helping fund projects or pensions for colleagues. Lubbock was also quite an important figure in natural history, and his work was used by Darwin, most notably in Descent of Man. Even after Darwin's life, Lubbock would assist the man, being a founding member of the X Club, and helped arrange Charles' funeral. The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animal. This is Darwin's third major work after Origin and Descent. It focuses on the animal origins of human expression, an example being raising the upper lip as a sign of aggression. Interesting little trivia, Expression is one of the first books to use photographs to present scientific information. Anyways, although innovative, Expression is remembered as Darwin's forgotten work, as, hey, have you heard of it before? John Edmonstone. Just like the first three Star Wars movies, there's approximately one black guy in the entire Darwin story. John Edmonstone was a slave in a British colony before eventually being freed in Scotland and pursuing the British dream, taxidermy. He taught his craft to the nearby University of Edinburgh students, most famously Darwin. It's quite possible Darwin's time with Edmonstone contributed to his later successes. Darwin may have been inspired greatly on Edmonstone's accounts of his tropical home, and later the lessons he learned on preserving specimens in the humid tropics could have saved many of his birds. Duke of Argyll, or George Campbell, was a Scottish politician and scientist who advanced the fields of geology and ornithology. But to Darwin, he was the head of the academic movement against Darwinism. He did believe in evolution, just one divinely driven. In one attempt to disprove Charles Darwin, Campbell brought up an orchid Chuck had researched, where Darwin had hypothesized there would be a moth with the exact required proboscis length to pollinate the flower. Campbell declared victory as the orchid remained mothless, and he claimed it meant the flower was not driven by any co-evolution. Of course, several decades later, what you know, a moth with the exact proboscis length is found. Even from beyond the grave, Darwin owns people. Transmutationism. Darwin is not the first guy to try and understand the ways of nature. Maybe most famously is the idea of the transmutation, and its poster boy, Lamarck. Lamarck noticed animals possessed adaptations, but had no idea how. Eventually, he came up with the idea that animals' continued use of an organ or feature, such as a giraffe using its neck, would further define that feature, and could pass that down to offspring. Transmutation was the most accepted view of species adaptation before Darwin wrote Origin of Species, and the status quo evolution eventually disproved. Influence of Alexander von Humboldt. Alexander von Humboldt, who lived from 1769 to 1859, is the 1800's era scientist who end all 1800's era scientists. You've all heard it before, wealthy German upbringing, somehow mastered every single science possible, traveled the world, and has the most things named after him than anyone else ever. Of course, a man with such an impact on the scientific world also affected the scientists that came later. Darwin loved Humboldt, was fascinated by his body of work, and wished to emulate the German in his career. More specifically, Humboldt's description of the tropics greatly fueled Charles' ambition to go to the tropics himself. Darwin's Member Societies. Like any well-connected British gent, Darwin was a part of various academic societies. Some of them are self-explainable. He presented in front of both geology and zoology societies. He was a member of a few radical societies that he joined in Scotland, such as the Wernerian Natural History Society and the Plinian Society. Later on, Darwin was also elected a fellow of the Royal and Linnaean Societies, focused on disseminating and promoting the natural sciences. Concepcion Earthquake. In the winter of 1835, the city of Concepcion, Chile and several neighboring towns were hit by a magnitude 8.5 earthquake, and later a massive tsunami, just for kicks. Of course, our good friend Darwin was coincidentally there, and wrote about the incident. An earthquake instantly reverses the strongest ideas. The earth, the very emblem of solidity, has trembled under our feet, like a thin crust placed on a fluid. Not gonna lie, what a weird accidental prediction by Chuck. Darwin vs. Radicals. Despite his radical views, Darwin wasn't a fan of radicals at that time. The radicals or freethinkers were commonly atheist or socialist people, who fought against the church's authority, women's oppression, the awful poverty of industrialist England. You get the picture. Darwin had seen them closely in Wernerian and Plinian societies, and other places. He was afraid to be considered one of them, and tried to be close with his clergyman friends. Despite his support for some cases, he tried to stay away from trouble. Darwin had his beard after 1866. When we say his name, you probably imagine Darwin with his really iconic beard. But this beard came to being much later in Darwin's life. When Darwin fell really ill and recovered in 1866, he had his silver-toned beard. At the time when business cards with photographs became famous, Darwin got one with this iconic beard, and that's his first recorded picture with that beard. His friends couldn't recognize him, and that's exactly what Darwin wanted. Despite his excuses that it was for fashion, he actually kept it for disguise. Darwin's monograph on barnacles. In 1835, Darwin picked up a little shell during the Beagle voyage. Under a microscope, Charles would find maybe the most riveting and important character of his life. Mr. Anthrobalanus, an odd-looking barnacle. More than a decade later, Darwin would sit down and study Mr. Anthrobalanus and several other barnacles in a process that took him some eight years. When it was all said and done, Darwin had proven barnacles are in fact crustaceans, and classified them off of their common ancestry, a founding idea in Darwinian evolution. An idea he would work on after this. The monograph also gave him some of his first clout in the scientific world. As for Mr. Anthrobalanus, he was doing pretty okay himself. Darwin also realized his species had, no kidding, the biggest package-to-body ratio of any animal. Well now, on to the next level. As we descend further, we will... Oh man. I guess I should have paid my electric bill. I wasn't kidding, guys. I really needed that ad read. Well, while I try to get my lights back, I'll have a trustful partner deal with the rest of the iceberg. Check out EDGE's video on the second part of this iceberg. Once more, thanks to Extinct Animal Facts for even giving me this project in the first place. And, see ya.