The Institute for the Study of the Americas cordially invites you to attend the following events. I would be most grateful if you could circulate this event information to colleagues or mailing lists members who may wish to attend.
Wednesday 19 June, 17:30 – 19:30
From Charles Darwin to Lonesome George: Writing the New Animal History in the Galapagos Islands
Nicola Foote (Associate Professor, Latin American and Caribbean Histoy, Florida Gulf Coast University)
Chair: Linda Newson (Director, ISA)
The Galapagos Islands are famous for their iconic wildlife. Yet the critical examination of this wildlife has been left overwhelmingly to scientists – to date, there have been no studies by humanities or social science scholars that engage with either the representation or realities of Galapagos fauna. As a result, some of Latin America’s most famous animals have been left out of the emerging field of Latin American animal studies.This paper seeks to begin to fill this gap.
Venue: Room G35 (Senate House, Ground Floor)
Venue addresses: Senate House, Malet Street, London WC1E 7HU
Institute for the Study of the Americas School of Advanced Study University of London Senate House Malet Street London WC1E 7HU E: americas@sas.ac.uk W: www.americas.sas.ac.uk
In 1835, during his voyage on HMS Beagle, Charles Darwin spent several weeks in Galápagos exploring the islands and making extensive notes on their natural history. Darwin in Galápagos is the first book to recreate Darwin’s historic visit to the islands, following in his footsteps day by day and island by island as he records all that he observes around him.
Thalia Grant and Gregory Estes meticulously retrace Darwin’s island expeditions, taking you on an unforgettable guided tour. Drawing from Darwin’s original notebooks and logs from the Beagle, the latest findings by Darwin scholars and modern science, and their own intimate knowledge of the archipelago, Grant and Estes offer rare insights into Darwin’s thinking about evolution in the context of the actual locales that inspired him. They introduce Darwin as a young naturalist in England and onboard the Beagle and then put you in his shoes as he explores remote places in the islands. They identify the unique animals and plants he observed and collected, and describe dramatic changes to the islands since Darwin’s time. They also explore the importance of Darwin’s observations and collections to the development of his thinking after the voyage.
Ideal for visitors to Galápagos and a delight for armchair travelers, Darwin in Galápagos is generously illustrated with color and black-and-white photographs and line drawings, as well as detailed maps of Darwin’s island itinerary and informative box features on the archipelago’s natural history.
At some point in our lives, my family and I wish to visit the Galapagos Islands. No surprise, huh?
It is sad to report the news that Lonesome George, the last known member of the Galapagos Tortoise subspecies Chelonoidis nigra abingdoni, died on June 24th. Originally from Pinta Island and relocated to the Charles Darwin Research Station on Santa Cruz Island, George died in his habitat, assumed to be from natural causes. He was an estimated 100 years old.
RIP, Lonesome George. Patrick drew a picture for you:
Tonight, we will be reading a children’s book we have about Lonesome George. And we came across a neat online book about him and other Galapagos critters, The Only One.
We recently checked out from our library The Humblebee Hunter by Deborah Hopkinson, with illustrations by Jen Corace. I particularly like this image of Darwin with his daughter Etty on the Galapagos (not physically, but through reminiscing). Here’s another of Darwin:
A model of the species found in the Galapagos (at left) and South America (not to scale). Entry by the Estes Grant family for the Beaty Biodiversity Museum's Bake a Cake for Darwin 2011
Galapagos. — I regret that you have not discussed plants. Perhaps I overvalue these Islds for how they did interest me & how they have influenced my life, as as one main element of my attending to origin of species.
You see that I have gone on writing as I read, & on almost next page there comes discussion of Galapagos flora!
John van Wyhe writes that “[a]s in his other descriptions of the Galapagos, however, Darwin here too refers to them not as the sole influence, but one of a number of the most important influences that first convinced him that species must evolve.”
Darwin Online now has a Facebook page, and I sure do hope you’ll go like it!
Sandra Herbert, Sally Gibson, David Norman, Dennis Geist, Greg Estes, Thalia Grant, Andrew Miles
Abstract In 1835 Charles Darwin’s geological observations on Isla Santiago (James Island) in the Galápagos Islands led him to important insights as to the process by which different varieties of igneous rock might be produced from the same volcanic vent. His work figured in a tradition of interpretation that began with the work of George Poulett Scrope and would end in the twentieth century with the theory of magmatic differentiation of igneous rocks through the process of crystal fractionation. This article reports on the findings of an expedition to Isla Santiago in July 2007 during which we were able to locate samples of igneous rocks similar to those collected by Darwin. We have used these, together with Darwin’s original specimens and transcriptions of his field notes, to examine how his understanding of the separation of the trachytic and basaltic series of magmas developed from his initial field observations through to publication of Volcanic Islands in 1844.
The following articles can be downloaded as PDFs here:
PROCEEDINGS OF THE CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES, SERIES 4, V61, SUPPLEMENT II
15 September 2010
MICHAEL T. GHISELIN and ALAN E. LEVITON. Acknowledgements
1 MICHAEL T. GHISELIN. Introduction. 1-3
2 ALAN E. LEVITON and MICHELE L. ALDRICH. Dedication: Irvin Bowman (1925-2006) Remembered. 5 figs. 5-12
3 JERE H. LIPPS. Charles Darwin and H.M.S. Beagle: Besides Galapagos. 15 figs. 13-36
4 EDWARD J. LARSON. The Natural History of Hell: The Galapagos Before Darwin. 4 figs. 37-44
5 SANDRA HERBERT. “A Universal Collector”: Charles Darwin’s Extraction of Meaning from his Galapagos Experience. 6 figs., 1 table 45-68
6 SALLY A GIBSON. Darwin the Geologist in Galapagos: An Early Insight into Sub-volcanic Magmatic Processes. 11 figs., 3 tables 69-88
7 JONATHAN HODGE. Darwin, the Galapagos, and his Changing Thoughts About Species Origins: 1935-1837. 89-106
8 MICHAEL T. GHISELIN. Going Public on the Galapagos: Reading Darwin Between the Lines. 2 [12] figs. 107-116
9 DUNCAN M. PORTER. Darwin: The Botanist on the Beagle. 20 figs. 117-156
10 ROBERT VAN SYOC. Darwin, Barnacles and the Galapagos: A View Through a 21st Century Lens. 8 figs. 157-166
11 JOHN E. MCCOSKER and RICHARD H. ROSENBLATT. The Fishes of the Galapagos Archipelago: An Update. 16 figs., Appendix 167-195
12 MATTHEW J. JAMES. Collecting Evolution: The Vindication of Charles Darwin by the 1905-06 Galapagos Expedition of the California Academy of Sciences. 3 figs. 197-210
13 JOHN P. DUMBACHER and BARBARA WEST. Collecting Galapagos and the Pacific: How Rollo Howard Beck Shaped Our Understanding of Evolution. 19 figs., 1 table 211-243
14 PETER R. GRANT and B. ROSEMARY GRANT. Natural Selection, Speciation and Darwin’s Finches. 11 figs., Appendices
Thanks to Matthew James to pointing me to this publication!
Piers Hale, an historian of science at the University of Oklahoma, taught over the summer a month-long Study Abroad course in Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands: HSCI 4970/5970 Charles Darwin and Galapagos: Solving the “mystery of mysteries.” Undergraduate students took both a zoology course in evolutionary ecology and a course on the history of evolutionary thought. Plus, exploring the places and following in the footsteps… not a bad way to get some credits! Piers hopes this can become a regularly offered course.
He has been posting pictures on his Facebook page, so I share here some Darwin-specific shots with his permission.
Here’s a shot from the University of San Francisco in Quito, Ecuador, of Darwin and Wallace (George will like this one):
Darwin bust:
Darwin bust:
Darwin statue:
Charles Darwin:
The bay where the Beagle dropped anchor 15 September 1835:
The bay where the Beagle dropped anchor 15 September 1835:
Avenue 12th February, San Cristobal:
An iguana for Darwin:
That Darwin bust again, nice sunset:
Convention center named after Darwin:
On the grounds of the Charles Darwin Research Station on Santa Cruz Island:
TV WEEKEND; ‘SMITHSONIAN WORLD’ TRACKS SCIENTIFIC SLEUTH
By JOHN CORRY
”SMITHSONIAN WORLD” has always been a good series. ”On the Shoulders of Giants,” the episode tomorrow night, is one of its best. Indeed, it is everything that a program about natural science is supposed to be. It will be shown on Channel 13 at 8 o’clock.
For one thing, it’s intelligent; for another, it’s wonderfully entertaining. It spends most of its time following a young scientist, David Steadman, who looks in passing like the actor Kris Kristofferson, as he scrambles around the Galapagos and Cook Islands.
Mr. Steadman, trained in ornithology, biology, geology and zoology, is looking for fossils. That might not sound like much fun to watch, but it is. The photography is wonderful. Mr. Steadman’s venues – beaches, forests, rock formations, caves – are unspoiled. We may not be able to visit, but this is the next best thing.
Moreover, the production has a feeling of playfulness. ”Smithsonian World” has always suggested that science isn’t a bad way of life. ”On the Shoulders of Giants” is positively overt about this. Thus, David McCullough, the knowledgable, intelligent and utterly-at-ease host of the program, watches Mr. Steadman sift through old bones.
”You’ve really got a good job, don’t you?” he says.
”I don’t complain,” Mr. Steadman replies.
How could he? We see him hobnobbing with marine iguanas, sea lions and giant tortoises. It’s a terrific job. Among other things, he’s proved that the giant rice rat and giant ground finch really existed.
The thread running through the program, as reflected in its title, is that Mr. Steadman is building on the work of Charles Darwin. This is no mere gimmick. Whereas Darwin, who began thinking about evolution when he visited the Galapagos in 1835, was on the islands only once, Mr. Steadman has been there seven times. Among other things, he has reclassified some of Darwin’s old evidence, and identified species that have vanished since Darwin’s visit.
The program, whose executive producer is Martin Carr, also visits Darwin’s old home, the British Museum, Tahiti and Mangaia. This last is a rugged, rocky outpost of the Cook Islands, and is home to some 1,200 Polynesians. ”On the Shoulders of Giants” savors some of their culture: dancing, churchgoing and stories of a ferocious, warlike past. This is a rewarding and well-done production.
I wanted to contact you to see if I could mention a UK
photography competition on here, that is open to all UK
secondary schools (aged 11-19, so perfect for the members of
this group who are in the UK) and it is based around
Darwin’s studies and resources for UK schools.
The prize of the competition is a trip to the Galapagos
Islands to develop their photography; the competition website is www.survivalrivals.org/competition/about.
Abstract Charles Darwin’s observations and insights continue to inspire nearly all scientists who are captivated by both the marvels and the perils of island life. Here I feature four themes inspired by Darwin’s singular insights: themes that may continue to provide valuable lessons for understanding the ecological and evolutionary development of insular biotas, and for conserving the natural character and evolutionary potential of all species restricted to isolated ecosystems (natural or anthropogenic).
Patrizia Sebastian, Hanno Schaefer and Susanne S. Renner
Abstract The year 2010 marks the 175th anniversary of Charles Darwin’s visit to the Galapagos Islands. A recent paper by J. C. Briggs, ‘Darwin’s biogeography’ (Journal of Biogeography, 2009, 36, 1011–1017), summarizes Darwin’s contributions to the field of biogeography, stressing the importance of his natural history specimens. Here, we illustrate how a plant collected by Darwin during his visit to Floreana and not collected since can provide insights into dispersal to oceanic islands as well as extinction of island plants, based on ancient DNA from Darwin’s herbarium specimen.
Monday, November 16th is the deadline for submissions to Charlie’s Playhouse’s “Ask the Kids” [about evolution] project. More information here.
I somehow neglected to share Ben Fry’s very cool digital rendition of the six editions of On the Origin of Species and the changes therein: “The Preservation of Favoured Traces.”
The Sedgwick Museum of Earth Sciences blog that accompanies their new Darwin as a geologist exhibit (my pics) has a short write up on the “Darwin in the Field” conference I attended last July, here. Also, the newsletter of the Palaeontological Association (they provided funding for the conference, including travel money for myself and a post-doc at the Smithsonian) has a report of the conference written by, well, me! You can see it at the bottom of page 56 in this PDF.
Videos of many lectures from the University of Cambridge’s Darwin Festival in July are up on YouTube.
Darwinfest: Bold Ideas Change Worlds, at ASU, has its own website. Darwin biographer Janet Browne will give a lecture on November 13th. Previous lectures from throughout 2009 are available for download.
Historian of science Jim Endersby will talk on “Darwin, Hooker, and Empire” on November 18th in conjunction with the American Philosophical Society’s exhibition Dialogues with Darwin: An Exhibition of Historical Documents and Contemporary Art. Website here, and a fun Flickr photo set of post-it notes that visitors filled out and placed on a tree of life diagram. Another recent lecture of Endersby’s, “Smashing Species: Joseph Hooker and Victorian Science” for the Royal Society, can be downloaded as an mp3.
Christ’s College, Cambridge has a website for Darwin, with lots of resources.
In Evolution: Education and Outreach is an article by U. Kutschera called “Darwin’s Philosophical Imperative and the Furor Theologicus“: “In 1859 Charles Darwin submitted a manuscript entitled “An Abstract of an Essay on the Origin of Species and Varieties through Natural Selection” to John Murray III, who published the text under the title On the Origin of Species. On many pages of this book, Darwin contrasts his naturalistic theory that explains the transmutation and diversification of animals and plants with the Bible-based belief that all species were independently created. On the last page of the first edition, published in November 1859, where Darwin speculated on the origin of the earliest forms of life from which all other species have descended, no reference to “the Creator” is made. In order to conciliate angry clerics and hence to tame the erupted furor theologicus, Darwin included the phrase “by the Creator” in the second edition of 1860 and in all subsequent versions of his book (sixth ed. 1872). However, in a letter of 1863, Darwin distanced himself from this Bible-based statement and wrote that by creation he means “appeared by some wholly unknown process.” In 1871, Darwin proposed a naturalistic origin-of-life-concept but did not dare to mention his “warm little pond hypothesis” in the sixth definitive edition of the Origin (1872). I conclude that the British naturalist strictly separated scientific facts and theories from religious dogmas (Darwin’s “philosophical imperative”) and would not endorse current claims by the Catholic Church and other Christian associations that evolutionary theory and Bible-based myths are compatible.”
EEO also has a piece about the traveling Darwin exhibition by Chiara Ceci, “Darwin: Origin and Evolution of an Exhibition”: “Two hundred years after his birth, Darwin, originated by the American Museum of Natural History in New York, is the most important exhibition about the English scientist ever organized for the general public. This traveling exhibition has appeared in many versions worldwide, and a study of the relationships between local developers of the various editions of the exhibition underlines how a scientific exhibition and, more generally, science communication can succeed in striking a good equilibrium between universal content and cultural determinants.”
“Discover the principles of evolution through animations, movies and simulations” at Evolution of Life.
A Darwin article in Plant Biology: “From Charles Darwin’s botanical country-house studies to modern plant biology”: “As a student of theology at Cambridge University, Charles Darwin (1809-1882) attended the lectures of the botanist John S. Henslow (1796-1861). This instruction provided the basis for his life-long interest in plants as well as the species question. This was a major reason why in his book On the Origin of Species, which was published 150 years ago, Darwin explained his metaphorical phrase `struggle for life’ with respect to animals and plants. In this article, we review Darwin’s botanical work with reference to the following topics: the struggle for existence in the vegetable kingdom with respect to the phytochrome-mediated shade avoidance response; the biology of flowers and Darwin’s plant-insect co-evolution hypothesis; climbing plants and the discovery of action potentials; the power of movement in plants and Darwin’s conflict with the German plant physiologist Julius Sachs; and light perception by growing grass coleoptiles with reference to the phototropins. Finally, we describe the establishment of the scientific discipline of Plant Biology that took place in the USA 80 years ago, and define this area of research with respect to Darwin’s work on botany and the physiology of higher plants.”
And another in Studies in History and Philosophy of Biological and Biomedical Sciences: “Dog fight: Darwin as animal advocate in the antivivisection controversy of 1875″: “The traditional characterization of Charles Darwin as a strong advocate of physiological experimentation on animals was posited in Richard French’s Antivivisection and medical science in Victorian England (1975), where French portrayed him as a soldier in Thomas Huxley’s efforts to preserve anatomical experimentation on animals unfettered by government regulation. That interpretation relied too much on, inter alia, Huxley’s own description of the legislative battles of 1875, and shared many historians’ propensity to foster a legacy of Darwin as a leader among a new wave of scientists, even where personal interests might indicate a conflicting story. Animal rights issues concerned more than mere science for Darwin, however, and where debates over other scientific issues failed to inspire Darwin to become publicly active, he readily joined the battle over vivisection, helping to draft legislation which, in many ways, was more protective of animal rights than even the bills proposed by his friend and anti-vivisectionist, Frances Power Cobbe. Darwin may not have officially joined Cobbe’s side in the fight, but personal correspondence of the period between 1870 and 1875 reveals a man whose first interest was to protect animals from inhumane treatment, and second to protect the reputations of those men and physiologists who were his friends, and who he believed incapable of inhumane acts. On this latter point he and Cobbe never did reach agreement, but they certainly agreed on the humane treatment of animals, and the need to proscribe various forms of animal experimentation.”
“Darwinism Comes to Penn” [PDF], in The Pennsylvania Gazette: “A century-and-a-half after the November 1859 publication of On the Origin of Species, a Penn microbiologist looks back at how Darwin’s ideas were received by some of the University’s leading thinkers.”
In the Journal of Evolutionary Biology, “WWDD? (What Would Darwin Do?)” [PDF], looks at evolution research and publishing: “We have just celebrated the 200th anniversary of the birth of Charles Darwin and the 150th anniversary of the publication of On the Origin of Species. While I hope we all rejoiced in the success of evolutionary biology and its continued growth, we should not become complacent. Although these are indeed events to celebrate, we still face the real threat of general ignorance of Darwin’s ideas. World leaders (or would-be world leaders) still promote superstition, stories and unthinking acceptance of dogma over scientific evidence. Evolutionary biologists have succeeded in investigating the magnificence, the wonder, the complexity, and the detail of evolution and its role in generating biodiversity. Evolutionary biologists have been less successful in making this relevant to those who are not biologists (and even, alas, some biologists). Is evolutionary biology likely to thrive when governments demand an immediate return on their research investment? How do we begin to educate others as to the value and importance of evolutionary research? I do not begin to claim that I can fathom the mind of Darwin, but I cannot help wondering – what would Darwin do today? Would he respond? How would he respond? And, what would be the form of his response?”
Jerry Coyne on “Why Evolution is True”:
Daniel Dennett on “Darwin and the Evolution of Why”:
Richard Dawkins closes his latest book The Greatest Show on Earth: The Evidence for Evolution by going through and detailing each line of the famous closing paragraph (“There is grandeur in this view of life…”) of On the Origin of Species. It’s available online, for you, to read, and ponder.
“The Evolution of Charles Darwin,” a 4-part series on CBC Radio One: “Ideas pays tribute toCharles Darwin and celebrates the 150th anniversary of the publication of his transformational and contentious book, On the Origin of Species. Darwin’s theory of evolution through Natural Selection completely changed how we think about the world. In this 4-part series,Seth Feldman guides us through the life and ideas of Charles Darwin, a creative genius. The series is produced by Sara Wolch.” Via Adrian.
Via The Evolution List, The Darwinian Revolutions Video Series: “This series of six online videos is a brief introduction to Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection and its implications.” The short videos are: Darwinian Revolutions, Evolutionary Ancestors, Lamarck’s Theory, One Long Argument, Mendel-Eclipse of Darwin, and The Evolving Synthesis.
The November 2009 issue of Naturwissenschaften is devoted to Darwin. The articles are “Charles Darwin’s Origin of Species, directional selection, and the evolutionary sciences today” [PDF] (Ulrich Kutschera); “Darwin’s warm little pond revisited: From molecules to the origin of life” [PDF] (Hartmut Follmann and Carol Brownson); ”Charles Darwin, beetles and phylogenetics” [PDF] (Rolf G. Beutel, Frank Friedrich and Richard A. B. Leschen); ”The predictability of evolution: Glimpses into a post-Darwinian world” [PDF] (Simon Conway Morris); and “Evolutionary plant physiology: Charles Darwin’s forgotten synthesis” [PDF] (Ulrich Kutschera and Karl J. Niklas).
Two more articles consider Darwin and the origin of life. In Endeavour James E. Strick offers “Darwin and the origin of life: public versus private science”: “In the first twenty years after the publication of Darwin’s On the Origin of Species, an intense debate took place within the ranks of Darwin’s supporters over exactly what his theory implied about the means by which the original living organism formed on Earth. Many supporters of evolutionary science also supported the doctrine of spontaneous generation: life forming from nonliving material not just once but many times up to the present day. Darwin was ambivalent on this topic. He feared its explosive potential to drive away liberal-minded Christians who might otherwise be supporters. His ambivalent wording created still more confusion, both among friends and foes, about what Darwin actually believed about the origin of life. A famous lecture by Thomas H. Huxley in 1870 set forth what later became the ‘party line’ Darwinian position on the subject.” In Origins of Life and Evolution of Biospheres, Juli Peretó, Jeffrey L. Bada and Antonio Lazcano offer another analysis in “Charles Darwin and the Origin of Life”: “When Charles Darwin published The Origin of Species 150 years ago he consciously avoided discussing the origin of life. However, analysis of some other texts written by Darwin, and of the correspondence he exchanged with friends and colleagues demonstrates that he took for granted the possibility of a natural emergence of the first life forms. As shown by notes from the pages he excised from his private notebooks, as early as 1837 Darwin was convinced that “the intimate relation of Life with laws of chemical combination, & the universality of latter render spontaneous generation not improbable”. Like many of his contemporaries, Darwin rejected the idea that putrefaction of preexisting organic compounds could lead to the appearance of organisms. Although he favored the possibility that life could appear by natural processes from simple inorganic compounds, his reluctance to discuss the issue resulted from his recognition that at the time it was possible to undertake the experimental study of the emergence of life.”
From the August 24, 2009 issue of Significance, two Darwin articles: “Darwin, Mendel and the evolution of evolution” by R. Allan Reese: “The history of science is full of myths. Darwin has his fair share; but Gregor Mendel, his fellow scientist and contemporary, has suffered even more. R. Allan Reese disentangles what we like to believe about Mendel from what we should believe—and finds a modern species whose origin was not by conventional evolution;” and “Cousins: Charles Darwin, Sir Francis Galton and the birth of eugenics” by Nicholas W. Gillham: “Sir Francis Galton, scientist, African Explorer and statistician, was a key figure in statistical history. He was the man who devised the statistical concepts of regression and correlation. He was also Charles Darwin’s cousin. And, inspired by his reading of Darwin, he was the founder of eugenics: the “science” of improving the human race through selective breeding. Nicholas Gillham tells of a darker side to statistics and heredity.”Sir Francis Galton, scientist, African Explorer and statistician, was a key figure in statistical history. He was the man who devised the statistical concepts of regression and correlation. He was also Charles Darwin’s cousin. And, inspired by his reading of Darwin, he was the founder of eugenics: the “science” of improving the human race through selective breeding. Nicholas Gillham tells of a darker side to statistics and heredity.”
RDF TV features highly-produced video programming, created by The Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science, and brought to you freely on the web.
After the Sedgwick Museum of Earth Sciences, Richard and I headed across the street to the University Museum of Zoology. Again, as with the Sedgwick, the museum was free. All the university museums at Cambridge are free! The zoology museum had another – although much smaller – Darwin exhibit, Beetles, Finches and Barnacles: The Zoological Collections of Charles Darwin. Here are some general shots from the museum:
What you see as you approach the University Museum of Zoology
Cambridge is a bike city
Horse, University Museum of Zoology, Cambridge
Spider crab, University Museum of Zoology, Cambridge
Darwin's rhea, University Museum of Zoology, Cambridge
Cephalopods, University Museum of Zoology, Cambridge
Crocodilians & Dinosaurs, University Museum of Zoology, Cambridge
A little in-house research, University Museum of Zoology, Cambridge
Leatherback turtle, University Museum of Zoology, Cambridge
Lepidoptera, University Museum of Zoology, Cambridge
Birds, University Museum of Zoology, Cambridge
Okapi, University Museum of Zoology, Cambridge
Elephant seal, University Museum of Zoology, Cambridge
Mammals, University Museum of Zoology, Cambridge
Giraffe, University Museum of Zoology, Cambridge
Rhinoceros, University Museum of Zoology, Cambridge
Primates, University Museum of Zoology, Cambridge
Taking his place:
The Descent of Richard Carter, FCD
Crab, University Museum of Zoology, Cambridge
Spider crab, University Museum of Zoology, Cambridge
Centipede, University Museum of Zoology, Cambridge
Pareiasaur, University Museum of Zoology, Cambridge
Whale, University Museum of Zoology, Cambridge
Now for the Darwin exhibit:
Label in the lobby informing of the Darwin exhibit
Close up of the Darwin painting
While the Darwin exhibit at the zoology museum highlights beetles (university Darwin), finches (Beagle Darwin), and barnacles (1840/50s Darwin), the image of Darwin that greets visitors to the museum is of a much older, bearded Darwin. Granted, there is an image of the young Darwin in the exhibit, but the old seems to be favored over the young:
Young Darwin, University Museum of Zoology, Cambridge
Darwin exhibit, University Museum of Zoology, Cambridge
Beagle specimens, University Museum of Zoology, Cambridge
Darwin books, University Museum of Zoology, Cambridge
Beagle specimens, University Museum of Zoology, Cambridge
Barnacle slides, University Museum of Zoology, Cambridge
Darwin exhibit, University Museum of Zoology, Cambridge
Finches, University Museum of Zoology, Cambridge
Richard photographing beetles, University Museum of Zoology, Museum
After a very nice sleep (not being nervous about presenting a paper) at Granta House, I looked forward to an entire day of relaxation and touring Cambridge. Here’s the street where my bed and breakfast was:
Street with Granta House, Cambridge, England
Our first stop was the Cambridge University Library to see the exhibit A Voyage Round the World, showcasing the library’s collection of documents, maps, drawings, books, etc. dealing with the voyage of HMS Beagle. An awesome exhibit, but unfortunately no pictures were allowed. I couldn’t even take a picture of a banner for the exhibit in the main lobby of the library. So Richard and I decided to pick up the exhibit’s companion book (Richard spotted me the tenner for it, thanks!). The library and the book:
Cambridge University Library
A Voyage Round the World by Alison M. Pearn
Next we headed to the Sedgwick Museum of Earth Sciences, to see the new permanent exhibit Darwin the Geologist and the rest of the museum, which, if you like lots of old stuff (fossils, rocks, etc.) crammed in large wooden cabinets, is definitely a place to check out when in Cambridge. On the way there, though, we passed an interesting spot for history of science buffs, the Mathematical Bridge at Queen’s College, built in 1749:
Mathematical Bridge, The River Cam, University of Cambridge
The Queen’s College website debunks the myth that Isaac Newton designed and built the bridge without using nuts or bolts:
For those who have fallen prey to the baseless stories told by unscrupulous guides to gullible tourists, it is necessary to point out that Isaac Newton died in 1727, and therefore cannot possibly have had anything to do with this bridge. Anyone who believes that students or Fellows could have disassembled the bridge (and then failed to re-assemble it, as the myth runs) cannot have a serious grasp on reality, given the size and weight of the wooden members of the bridge. The joints of the present bridge are fastened by nuts and bolts. Earlier versions of the bridge used iron pins or screws at the joints, driven in from the outer elevation. Only a pedant could claim that the bridge was originally built without nails. Other baseless stories are that Etheridge had been a student, and/or had visited China.
Now some pictures from Darwin the Geologist:
Richard Carter observing Darwin the Geologist
Bust of Young Darwin by Anthony Smith, Darwin the Geologist
Computer interactive shows posts from exhibit's blog
Another interactive showing rocks collected on Beagle voyage
HMS Beagle Puzzle
Darwin, the young collector
Influential books
A Letter
Fossil finds on the Beagle voyage
Signature in a geological notebook
Recreation of Darwin's cabin on HMS Beagle
The Andes
'Geologising' at the Galapagos Islands
Coral Reefs in the Pacific
Raw materials & precious metals
Touch a rock
Series of displays showing current research influenced by Darwin
Visitors observing Darwin the Geologist
Now a look at the rest of the museum:
The Irish Elk, Sedgwick Museum
Deinotherium, Sedgwick Museum
Label on Deinotherium
Allosaurus skull
Statue of Adam Sedgwick
The Burgess Shale, Sedgwick Museum
Sedgwick Museum
Nice seating area with a kid's Darwin library
Richard said he saw Darwin in these brachipods. Do you?
Iguanodon, Sedgwick Museum
Tour group observing Darwin the Geologist
Typical display in the Sedgwick Museum
A familiar sight for a guy from Bozeman (Yellowstone)
In my next post I will share some images from the University Museum of Zoology, including the Darwin exhibit Beetles, Finches and Barnacles.
You can view all the photos from my trip here, if you feel so inclined. Some of Richard’s Cambridge photos are here.
John van Wyhe (Darwin Online, and hardcore Darwin groupie), spoke for Case Western Reserve University in April 2009 on the many myths that remain in the common knowledge of Darwin:
Darwin, C. R. 1876. Digest of evidence taken before the Royal Commission on the practice of subjecting live animals to experiments for scientific purposes: with an alphabetical list of witnesses. London: Her Majesty’s Stationery Office [Darwin's evidence on p. 34]. Image Colour images courtesy of J. David Archibald.
Darwin C. R. Notebook N: [Metaphysics and expression (1838-1839)]. Text & image Text now available side-by-side with corrected images of the notebook.
Darwin, C. R. 1871. The descent of man. (from advance-sheets of Darwin’s new work.) Appletons’ Journal 5 (98) (11 February): 171-173. ImageA newly recorded Darwin publication!
1881-1882. Last will and testament of Charles Robert Darwin. Text & Image YorkProbateSubRegistry
Darwin, C. R. 1890. Journal of researches into the natural history and geology of the countries visited during the voyage of H.M.S. “Beagle” round the world. Under the command of Capt. Fitz Roy, R.N. With a biographical introduction [by G. T. Bettany]. 7th edn. London: Ward Lock (Minerva Library No. 1). ImagePDF
Darwin, C. R. 1877. Des effets de la fécondation croisée et de la fécondation directe dans le règne végétal. ImagePDF New images courtesy of the Natural History Museum, London.
Lyell, C. 1835. Principles of geology: being an inquiry how far the former changes of the Earth’s surface are referable to causes now in operation. 3d edn. 4 vols. London: John Murray.
Vol. 1 ImagePDF
Vol. 3 ImagePDF
Notebook M: [Metaphysics on morals and speculations on expression (1838)]. Text Image Text now available side-by-side with corrected images of the notebook.
Four Spanish translations courtesy of the University of Seville:
Darwin, C. R. 1877. Origen de las especies. TextImagePDF [Contains 2 letters from Darwin (in English & Spanish) not printed elsewhere]
Darwin, C. R. 1880. El origen del hombre: la seleccion natural y la sexual. Text Image PDF
Darwin, C. R. [c. 1902] La expressión de las emociones. Vol. 1 Image PDF
Darwin, C. R. 1921. Diaro del viaje de un naturalista alrededor del mundo.
Vol. 1 Image PDF
Vol. 2 Image PDF
Malthus, T. 1826. An essay on the principle of population. 6th edn.
Vol. 1. Text
Vol. 2. Text
Darwin, C. R. 1873. Het uitdrukken der gemoedsaandoeningen bij den mensch en de dieren. [Expression of the emotions in Dutch] Trans. by H. Hartogh Heijs van Zouteveen. The Hague: Joh. Ykema. Image PDF
The Museum of the Rockies here in Bozeman, famed for being the place where paleontologist Jack Horner works, held its first Darwin Day celebration on Wednesday, February 11th. They had cake, a short animated film about Darwin showing in the Hager Auditorium (from the Now You Know About series), and museum staff and docents assisting children in exploring fossils, making observation notebooks, creating personal family trees, and a Finch beak activity using different-sized binder clips to pick up a variety of seeds (lima beans, popcorn, and pinto beans). And the Thermal Biology Institute from MSU was there for “Make Your Own DNA Necklaces.” We brought Patrick and he had fun, but I think some of the activities were a little above a three-year-old’s level. Here are some pictures (click on them to see larger):
A few years ago, natural history illustrator Carl Buell composed this neat illustration of a younger Charles Darwin for Darwin Day:
Happy Birthday Mr. Darwin by Carl Buell
This year, Carl has painted a full-size, later-in-life Darwin (ya know, the bearded Darwin). You may have already seen the painting on Carl Zimmer’s blog The Loom, but here it is:
Charles Darwin by Carl Buell
Carl Buell is allowing people to use this image for your Darwin Day events. In fact, it was commissioned for a Darwin Day event (see here). Carl is able to provide a life-size version of the image. His email can be found in the right margin of his website. Do give him credit for a wonderful likeness! Compare to this image of Darwin…
These 10 videos are of presentations from the Stanford Continuing Studies course, Darwin’s Legacy, in September 2008.
Lecture 1: September 22, 2008 introductory lecture by William Durham for the Stanford Continuing Studies course on Darwin’s Legacy (DAR 200). Professor Durham provides an overview of the course; Professor Robert Siegel touches upon “Darwin’s Own Evolution;” Professor Durham returns for a talk on “Darwin’s Data;” and the lecture concludes with a panel discussion moderated by Dr. Lynn Rothschild.
Lecture 2: September 29, 2008 lecture by Eugenie Scott for the Stanford Continuing Studies course on Darwin’s Legacy (DAR 200). Dr. Scott explores the evolution vs. creationism debate and provides an argument for evolution. The lecture is concluded with a panel discussion with Brent Sockness and Jeff Wine.
Lecture 3: October 6, 2008 lecture by Janet Browne for the Stanford Continuing Studies course on Darwin’s Legacy (DAR 200). Dr. Browne presents a biography on Charles Darwin and explores Darwin’s Origin of Species. The lecture is concluded with a panel discussion with Craig Heller and Robert Proctor.
Lecture 4: October 13, 2008 lecture by Daniel Dennett for the Stanford Continuing Studies course on Darwin’s Legacy (DAR 200). Dr. Dennett presents the philosophical importance of Darwin’s theory of evolution. The lecture is concluded with a panel discussion with Hank Greely and Chris Bobonich.
Lecture 5: October 20, 2008 lecture by Peter and Rosemary Grant for the Stanford Continuing Studies course on Darwin’s Legacy (DAR 200). The Grants discuss how and why species multiply. The lecture is concluded with a panel discussion with Carol Boggs and Rodolfo Dirzo.
Lecture 6: October 27, 2008 lecture by Niles Eldredge for the Stanford Continuing Studies course on Darwin’s Legacy (DAR 200). Dr. Eldredge discusses Darwin’s life and work. The lecture is concluded with a panel discussion with Ward Watt and Liz Hadly.
Lecture 7: November 3, 2008 lecture by Professor Melissa Brown for the Stanford Continuing Studies course on Darwin’s Legacy (DAR 200). Professor Brown speaks about the history and consequences of social Darwinism, and offers insight into new ways of thinking about social evolution.
Lecture 8: November 10, 2008 lecture by Paul Ewald for the Stanford Continuing Studies course on Darwin’s Legacy (DAR 200). Dr. Ewald speaks about how several pathogenic viruses have evolved over time to break down the cell’s barriers to several types of cancer. He suggests that further research will aid in the discovery of additional viruses linked to the causation of cancer. The lecture is concluded with a panel discussion with Gary Schoolnik and Stanley Falkow.
Lecture 9: November 17, 2008 lecture by Russell Fernald for the Stanford Continuing Studies course on Darwin’s Legacy (DAR 200). Dr. Fernald discusses how social behavior changes the brains of fish, animals, and humans to adapt to situations typically involving mating behaviors. The lecture is concluded with a panel discussion with Eric Knudsen and Charles Junkerman.
Lecture 10: December 1, 2008 lecture by George Levine for the Stanford Continuing Studies course on Darwin’s Legacy (DAR 200). Dr. Levine discusses through analysis of Darwin’s literary works, ways of seeing and being enchanted by the world as well as the poetic eloquence of Darwin’s prose. The lecture is concluded with a discussion between Dr. Levine and Rob Polhemus.
Darwin’s Legacy: The Fate of the Icons of Evolution Zoological Society of London
10th February 2009, 6.00pm
The voyage to the Galápagos Islands was crucial to Charles Darwin’s ground-breaking ideas on natural selection, with the discovery that the birds and giant tortoises on the islands had evolved into distinct species.
The voyage of ‘HMS Beagle’ led to the development of the world’s most important ideas on evolution, at a time when the process of extinction was also a new and controversial theory.
During the voyage, Darwin and his fellow crewmen returned a group of former hostages from Tierra del Fuego to their native home at the tip of South America.
Almost two centuries later, we explore the fate of the species and people that inspired Darwin’s ideas. We describe how the modern-day extinction crisis has impacted not only the animal species of the Galápagos but also the indigenous people, who have since become threatened or have disappeared.
Speakers:
Joanne H. Cooper, Bird Group, the Natural History Museum at Tring
Colin McEwan, Head of the Americas Section, The British Museum
H. Glyn Young, Conservation Biologist, Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust
This meeting is free and open to everyone – no need to book in advance but please arrive early as seating is limited.
The ZSL Meeting Rooms will be open from 5.00pm on the evening, and seats will only be reserved at the talks for those who have booked to come to the dinner.
The evening has been organised by Sam Turvey and Carly Waterman (Institute of Zoology & Conservation Programmes, ZSL); talks will be given by Joanne H. Cooper (the Natural History Museum at Tring), Colin McEwan (The British Museum) and H. Glyn Young (Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust); and there will be time for questions following the talks.
by Deborah Hopkinson, with illustrations by Jen Corace. I particularly like this image of Darwin with his daughter Etty on the Galapagos (not physically, but through reminiscing). Here’s another of Darwin:
wins the Royal Society’s 
for Science
in Centaurus
