Final answer:
Charles Darwin was a British naturalist who developed the theory of evolution by natural selection, explaining how species evolve over time through adaptations to their environment.
Step-by-step explanation:
Charles Darwin was an eminent British naturalist and author known for his groundbreaking contributions to the field of biology. Darwin is most celebrated for detailing the process of evolution by natural selection in his landmark book On the Origin of Species, published in 1859. In this book, he compiled a vast array of evidence showing that life evolves over time.
Darwin's theory posits that species evolve through a process called natural selection, where organisms that are better adapted to their environment tend to survive and reproduce, passing on their advantageous traits to their offspring. This leads to the gradual evolution of species. His observations in diverse environments, especially on the Galápagos Islands, where he noted that animals are uniquely adapted to their specific habitats, helped him develop his theory.
Despite initial controversy, particularly with religious institutions, Darwin's ideas moved beyond just the scientific community and had profound impacts on social, economic, and intellectual thought. Over time, the theory of evolution became one of the fundamental keystones of modern biology, explaining the diversity of life and its adaptations over geological timescales.