Transcript Surprising truths about Charles Darwin

Surprising truths about
Charles Darwin
David Pannell
University of Western Australia
Just a bloke with a good idea?
I was interested in evolution but not in
Darwin
 Eventually read Adrian Desmond and
James Moore (1991) “Darwin”
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Lifeline
Born 1809
 Study (Edinburgh and Cambridge)
1825-1831
 Voyage of the Beagle 1831-36
 Retired to Down 1842
 The Origin of Species
1859
 Died 1882
Darwin’s home at Down, near London
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Darwin’s achievements
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Transformed biological science
 Both style and content
 Still the cornerstone of biology
 Now the cutting edge of psychology
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Transformed attitudes of humanity to
our place in the universe
Not just an evolutionist
Not even a biologist to start with
 Collected beetles for fun
 Studied geology more seriously
 Considered himself a geologist
throughout the Beagle voyage and for
some time after
 Famous for working out how coral
atolls are formed
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His books (not just on evolution)
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Beagle voyage
Coral reefs
Volcanic islands
Geology of South
America
Barnacles
Species
Man
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Emotions
Climbing plants
Domestication
Cross and self
fertilisation
Orchids
Worms
Autobiography
Contribution to style of science
Pre-Darwin, science was done in
homage to God
 Was primarily descriptive
 Deduction and theorising was
disparaged as “speculation”
 Darwin used detailed observation to
explore much larger questions - helped
change scientific methods
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Natural selection
Developed theory in complete isolation
 In face of violent opposition
 With no knowledge of genetics
 With no knowledge of DNA
 With no observations of natural
selection actually occurring
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Not first to propose evolution
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French tradition
 Jean-Baptiste Lamark
 Etienne Geoffroy St Hilaire
Erasmus Darwin (Grandfather)
 Robert Grant (Mentor)
 Was expounded in a popular book
(“Vestiges”) 15 years before “Origin”
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Darwin was mis-credited
Died famous for evolution (which was
not his idea)
 Natural selection not widely accepted,
even among his supporters
 Darwin remained convinced
 Only 40-50 years later did scientists
appreciate his foresight.
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The Beagle
Only 90 foot long, but carrying 74 people.
Joining the Beagle Voyage
Not paid for 5 years on Beagle.
 Actually, he had to pay!
 Was lucky to get on
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 replaced someone who was
shot in a duel
 his father opposed him going
Mainly asked because of his class, to
keep Captain Fitzroy company
 It was the making of him
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Galapogos, 1835
Portrayed as a “Eureka” experience.
 Actually, was hugely homesick
 Did not recognise significance until
back in England, 1837.
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 Worked out theory much later.
 First inkling of natural selection in 1838.
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Turtles & finches were key evidence
 On boat home, ate turtles, dumped shells
 Thought finches different species; didn’t
even label them properly
The Beagle in Sydney Harbour
Darwin in Australia
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Only visited three places in Australia
 Sydney, Jan 1836
 Hobart, Feb 1836
 Albany, Mar 1836
“On the whole I do not like New South Wales. It
is no doubt an admirable place to accumulate
pounds and shillings; but heaven forbid that I
should live where every man is sure be
somewhere between a petty rogue and a
bloodthirsty villain.” (Darwin to Henslow)
Darwin in Albany
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In Albany 6-14 March 1836
 “The settlement consists of 30-40 small
white washed cottages, which are
scattered on the side of a bank and along a
white sea beach.”
Explored Bald Head
 Attended a corroboree.
 Visited Strawberry Hill Farm
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Darwin in Albany
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Felt homesick. Departure delayed by
strong winds.
 “I do not remember, since leaving England,
having passed a more dull and
uninteresting time.” (Voyage)
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Failed to recognise the massive
biodiversity.
 “He who thinks with me will never wish to
walk again in so uninviting a country.”
(Voyage)
Darwin in Albany
By FAR the most important and the
most famous person ever to visit
Albany.
 One of very few places he did visit
outside England and South America
 Not a single indication of his ever
having visited.
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 No plaque, monument, street name, place
name
The Big Idea:
Natural Selection
Darwin’s sand walk at Down:
He knew about fossils
a daily thoughtful stroll
 Collected many for extinct animals
 Knew about Llyell’s theory of
“evolution” of geology
 Read Malthus (an economist) on
population and competition for
resources.
 His ideas developed steadily over 20
years
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Influence of economics
He read Malthus and Adam Smith
 Saw specialisation benefits in factory
Wedgewood (wife’s family owned it)
 Evolutionary biology makes use of
models from economics, especially
game theory.
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 Example: “The Selfish Gene”, Richard
Dawkins
Slow to publish: Why so long?
Anguish
 Illness
 Slow development of ideas
 Collection of a wealth of evidence
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Anguish
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Social class
 Respectability
 Evolution subversive - against his class
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Religous considerations
 especially worried about hurting wife
Emma who grieved for his soul
Scientific prejudice against
“speculation”
 “Like confessing a murder.”
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Illness
Sea sickness
 Problems throughout life
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 violent shivering, vomiting, exhaustion,
palpitations, hands trembling, head
swimming, sleeplessness, headaches,
flatulance, stomach problems, ringing of
ears, fainting, copious palid urine
In 1841 could work “an hour or two a
couple of days a week.”
 Chaga’s disease or just nervous?
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Slow to publish: Why so long?
Anguish
 Illness
 Slow development of ideas
 Detailed analysis, collection of a
wealth of evidence
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 pigeons
 barnacles
Barnacles
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Started out as a brief study.
 Took 8 years (from 1948).
 Huge 2 volume treatise overhauling entire
sub-class.
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Dominated his kids lives
 One of his kids asked a friend, “Where
does your dad do his barnacles?”
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Established him as a biological
specialist, not just a geologist
 Royal Society Medal
Courage
On Beagle voyage, rode hundreds of
miles through bandit areas and war
zones in South America
 Worked through his illnesses.
 Was willing to publish “Origins”
despite the risks
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Wealth
Father a wealthy doctor
 Reduced his enthusiasm to get a job as
a doctor or clergyman
 Wealth bought time and resources
 Made money from investments (land
and railway stocks), not from books
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Alfred Russel Wallace
Thought of natural selection (1959)
 Wrote to Darwin
 Darwin had been working on book
 Published a “letter” jointly
 Wallace didn’t
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 put in the hard yards collecting and
documenting evidence to support theory
 remain in favour of the theory
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Darwin did!
Religion
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Started out on path to clergy
 “The Darwins had produced lawyers and
military men, but Charles lacked the selfdiscipline. There was, however, a safety
net to stop second sons becoming
wastrels: the Church of England. An
aimless son with a penchant for field
sports would fit in nicely.” (Desmond &
Moore)
Signed 39 articles of faith
 A naturalist parson?
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Religious conflict
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Samuel Wilberforce vs T.H.Huxley
Years
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it from
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from an
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 Science served religion,
itstofindings
ridicule intoof
a grave
were taken as revelations
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plan
discussion, I unhesitatingly
 Buried in Westminster
Abbey
affirm my
preference for the
 The Times: “Theape!”
Abbey needed Darwin
more than Darwin needed the Abbey.”