Influences on Darwin

Influences on Darwin

Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution was shaped by the ideas, observations, and discoveries of others. While traveling on the HMS Beagle, Darwin read works by scientists like Charles Lyell, who proposed that the Earth changes slowly over time, and Thomas Malthus, who discuss...

Charles Darwin’s discovery of natural selection was influenced by ideas from earlier scientists. Their work helped him understand how species change over time.

One of the earliest ideas came from Jean-Baptiste Lamarck, who proposed that organisms acquire traits during their lifetime and pass them to their offspring.

For example, Lam...