People who developed theory of Evolution By Nestas

People who developed theory of Evolution By Nesta’s Ark

Mary Anning – the Mother of Palaeontology • Mary Anning was born on 21 May 1799, in Lyme Regis, on the Dorset coast. • She was named after a sister who died in a house fire. • She and her brother Joseph were the only survivors among 10 children born to Richard Anning and his wife Mary Moore. • Mary survived a lightning strike that killed three siblings. • Legend had it the lightning turned her into a bright and observant child. • She died of breast cancer on 9 March 1847 aged 47. • Even though they did not admit women until 1904 the Geological Society recorded Mary’s death and her local church life installed a stained glass window. Credited to 'Mr. Grey' in Crispin Tickell's book 'Mary Anning of Lyme Regis' (1996)

She Sells Seashells on the Sea Shore • Mary Anning was the source of the famous nursery rhyme as she sold shells and fossils in her father’s shop. • Despite having only a little education Mary could read and taught herself geology and anatomy. • Members of fashionable society called into her shop at Lyme to see the fossils and see her intelligence and humour. • She was acknowledged as an expert in many areas, including coprolites (fossil faeces). • Some people, including Georges Cuvier, France’s eminent anatomist, accused her of fraud. • Mary also made the discovery that ink from squid-like belemnites can be ground up and used for drawing. Autograph letter concerning the discovery of plesiosaurus, from Mary Anning.

Charles Darwin - the father of evolutionary biology. • Charles Robert Darwin was born on 12 February 1809 in Shrewsbury, Shropshire. He was named after his uncle (Charles) who had died a few years before and his father (Robert). • His mother was Josiah Wedgewood’s daughter • He was a rather shy and reserved boy who invented wild stories, and showed off his athletic skills to the other boys. He was also very mischievous, and enjoyed being the centre of attention in the household. • Charles struggled at school and found what he was taught difficult. He learnt a lot hiking in Wales and visiting museums. • This is the earliest picture known, of Charles Darwin. An 1816 chalk drawing of Charles Darwin at age six with sister Catherine, by Ellen Sharples

Charles Darwin - the discovery. • In 1831 Charles joined a 2 year survey of South America on board the Beagle. • The trip took 5 years and he also visited Australia, New Zealand several islands – Galapagos – Mauritius • Charles kept detailed journals and brought back thousands of specimens. • He spent the next 10 years cataloguing the specimens. Photograph of Charles Darwin. According to the son of Charles Darwin, Francis Darwin, this portrait is by Messrs. Henry Maull (1829– 1914) and John Fox (1832– 1907); he writes that "the date of the photograph is probably 1854; it is, however, impossible to be certain on this point, the books of Messrs. Maull and Fox having been destroyed by fire. "

Charles Darwin – On the Origin of Species. • After finishing writing several books and studying the specimens Darwin formed a theory. • Darwin's theory consisted of two main points: – diverse groups of animals evolve from one or a few common ancestors – the mechanism by which this evolution takes place is natural selection. • He found similar animals around the globe • He found similar biomes with different animals • He worked out that the best adapted animals survived and their children generally had those adaptations Photograph of Charles Darwin taken around 1874 by Leonard Darwin.

Alfred Russel Wallace – The father of biogeography (the study of how plants and animals are distributed) • Alfred was born in 1823 and died aged 90 in 1913 • He jointly publish theory of evolution by natural selection with Charles Darwin in 1858 • He also wrote about glaciology, land reform, anthropology, ethnography, epidemiology, astrobiology and biogeography (the study of how plants and animals are distributed) led to him becoming recognised as that subject’s ‘father’. “Alfred-Russel-Wallace-c 1895" by London Stereoscopic & Photographic Company (active 1855 -1922) - First published in Borderland Magazine, April 1896. Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons Alfred Russel Wallace 1862 - Project Gutenberg e. Text 15997" by Unknown - Marchant, James (1916) Alfred Russel Wallace — Letters and Reminiscences, Vol. 1, London, New York, Toronto and Melbourne: Cassell and Company, pp. Plate between p. 36– 37 Retrieved on 16 October 2005. . Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons