Abstract
SECTION D (Zoology) of the British Association devoted the afternoon of September 6 to the commemoration of the centenary of the landing of Charles Darwin on the Galapagos Islands, and of the birth of the hypothesis of the “Origin of Species”. He landed on September 16, 1835, and during the five weeks he spent in the archipelago his observations included those on birds and reptiles recorded in his note-book, as quoted by Mrs. Barlow in her letter published in NATURE of September 7, p. 391. The clear differences presented more especially by the finches and the giant tortoises found on the different islands, led Darwin to a highly important line of thought and to the realisation that his facts, if well founded, “would undermine the stability of species”. In an introductory address, Sir Edward Poulton gave an outline of the observations made by Darwin on the fauna of the islands, as a result of which he became convinced that he must abandon the idea of the separate creation of species though he was then unable to account for their origin. Sir Edward then reviewed evolutionary thought during the past century, especially in relation to the theory of natural selection. Prof. J. H. Ashworth gave an account of Darwin as a student in Edinburgh from 1825 until 1827 with particular reference to the development of his early taste for natural history and collecting, and concluded that in Edinburgh Darwin laid the foundation of his knowledge of the science of natural history. Prof. G. D. H. Carpenter spoke on Darwin and entomology, and cited examples in support of the theory of natural selection. Prof. E. W. MacBride spoke on Darwin and the problem of the population of the Galapagos Islands, and expressed his dissent from Sir Edward Poulton's views on the value of natural selection as a cause of evolution. Mr. H. W. Parker gave an account of the present distribution of the reptiles in the Islands, pointed out that two of the species found by Darwin were extinct and the others by no means common, and that the danger of extinction of other species had been recently realised by the Government of Ecuador. We hope shortly to publish an account of this interesting commemoration.
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A Darwin Commemoration. Nature 136, 426 (1935). https://doi.org/10.1038/136426b0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/136426b0