Final answer:
Charles Darwin, a British naturalist, is famous for the theory of evolution by natural selection outlined in his book On the Origin of Species. His voyage to the Galápagos Islands was pivotal to his development of the theory, which posits that advantageous traits become more common in a population over time due to differential survival and reproduction. Darwin's ideas fundamentally changed biology and have been supported by subsequent scientific discoveries.
Step-by-step explanation:
Charles Darwin was a renowned British naturalist born on February 12, 1809. He is most celebrated for his groundbreaking work on evolutionary theory, which he presented in his 1859 publication of On the Origin of Species. In this seminal book, Darwin proposed the theory of evolution by natural selection, offering extensive evidence to support the idea that life forms evolve over time.
During his voyage aboard the HMS Beagle, Darwin visited the Galápagos Islands, where he observed that animals were exquisitely adapted to their environments. These observations led him to consider why there was such diversity in life forms and prompted the questions about why organisms are both different and similar. His theory suggested that organisms that possess advantageous traits tend to survive and reproduce at a higher rate than others, passing these beneficial traits to their offspring.
The publication of Darwin's theory challenged existing views of the natural world and, although initially met with resistance, has become a fundamental concept in biology. Contributions from genetics and molecular science have since corroborated Darwin's ideas, solidifying his lasting impact on scientific thought.