The impact of Charles Darwin's visit to the Cape of Good Hope in 1836 on his theory of evolution and natural selection   

THE IMPACT OF CHARLES DARWIN’S VISIT TO THE CAPE OF GOOD HOPE IN 1836  ON HIS THEORY OF EVOLUTION BY NATURAL SELECTION      

Professor Mike Bruton, ichthyologist, museum and science centre development consultant

Thursday 18 January  1.00 pm  COURSE FEES R110; Staff and students R55

Charles Darwin visited the Cape of Good Hope for nineteen days towards the end of his five-year circumnavigation of the world on the HMS Beagle. By then he had started to organise his ideas on his revolutionary theory of evolution but needed to discuss them with other scientists. The first opportunity he had to do so was in the Cape where he met Sir Andrew Smith, Sir Thomas Maclear and especially Sir John Herschel. The impact of his conversations with these eminent scientists on his ideas will be discussed as well as the observations in support of his theory that he made in the Cape.

Recommended reading

Darwin, C. 2011. The Origin of Species. London: Collins Classics.

Gribbin, J. and White, M. 1995. Darwin. A Life in Science. London: Simon & Schuster. Tort, P. 2000. Darwin and the Science of Evolution. New York: Abrams.

Wilson, A.N. 2017. Charles Darwin. Victorian Mythmaker. London: John Murray.

TO BOOK:

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