Charles Darwin and the Theory of Evolution Quiz

Answer: Erasmus

Erasmus was known for his strange ideas, a bit like Charles at the time, and possibly pondered a little on the science of evolution for a while. Another of his whacky interests was air travel.

Answer: True

Charles would often go for nature walks, admiring the animals surrounding him. He was quite interested in insects and started a collection. His professors at school thought science a petty subject and concentrated on the classics so Charles developed his knowledge in his own time.

Answer: lawyer

Charles was encouraged to follow in his father's footsteps and become a doctor, but he quit from his course at Edinburgh after witnessing surgery. He could not stand the blood. He then studied to be a clergyman and at that time believed everything in the Bible, which he later went against. He also met two professors who taught him about biology, geology and naturalism.

Answer: Beagle

Darwin was an unpaid scientist aboard the Beagle. It was his job to study rocks and plants and animals on the journey. Unfortunately, Darwin was seasick for the start of the journey but overcame this.

Answer: North America

Most of Darwin's work and specimen collection was done in South America, but he spent some time in Australia and Africa as well. During the journey he collected thousands of specimens of rocks, flora and fauna and he needed a second supply ship to take them all back to England!

Answer: finches

Perhaps one of the finest examples of evolution in action. Each island had a different species of finch. And each species of finch had a different sized beak. The finches with the largest beak lived on an island with plenty of hard nuts, while the smallest-beaked finch lived on an island where the main food source was insects.

This shows how well these birds have adapted to their environment.

Answer: False

Despite Charles' father wishing for him to be a doctor, he supported Charles and financially backed him. Charles never had to seriously work in his life. He settled with his wife Emma at Down House in Kent and spent the rest of his life experimenting with his collected specimens and developing his theories.

Answer: Alfred Wallace

Alfred Wallace also had come up with a theory of evolution similar to Darwin's. They both produced papers but in the end it was Darwin who went ahead and published his research. John Henslow and Adam Sedgwick were both naturalists who taught Darwin at Cambridge University. Joseph Banks was a well known English botanist.

Answer: Principles of Geology

'On the Origin of Species' was published in 1859. It was condemned by the church because it disagreed with the Bible which stated that God created all animals in their present form, but it sold out on the first day. By the time that Darwin was old it was accepted that the theory of evolution was correct. 'The Descent of Man' and the 'Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals' were published later and were expansions on topics in the 'Origin of Species'.

Answer: Chagas Disease

Charles Darwin was quite sick in his later years. He is now believed to have caught Chagas Disease while in South America. This disease is caused by the bite of of a certain bug.