Final answer:
Charles Darwin's scientific career was greatly influenced by his informal training in natural history, his mentors, and notably, his observations and collections during the voyage of the HMS Beagle. Influential figures like Charles Lyell and Thomas Malthus, as well as artificial selection and the parallel work of Alfred Russel Wallace, significantly shaped Darwin's thinking and his eventual formulation of the theory of evolution.
Step-by-step explanation:
Charles Darwin's scientific training was not as formal in biology as one might expect for such a pivotal figure in natural history; he initially studied medicine at the University of Edinburgh and then theology at Christ's College, Cambridge. However, his natural interest in natural history grew, especially through his association with influential mentors like botany professor John Henslow and geology professor Adam Sedgwick. It was the pivotal five-year voyage on the HMS Beagle that allowed Darwin to study a variety of geological formations, fossils, and living organisms. During his lifetime, several critical events and influential individuals steered Darwin towards formulating his theory of evolution. One of these individuals was Charles Lyell, whose work Principles of Geology suggested that Earth's landscape was shaped by slow, constant geological processes, implying that the planet was much older than previously thought. Darwin's exposure to artificial selection, and the selective breeding of plants and animals, also influenced his understanding of natural selection. Furthermore, the economist Thomas Malthus, through his writings on population growth and resource limits, provided Darwin with insights into competition and survival.
Additionally, the research of other naturalists like Jean Baptiste Lamarck, who inaccurately theorized that traits acquired during an organism's life could be passed on to its offspring, contrasted with Darwin's observations and ideas. Alfred Russel Wallace's correspondence and concurrent research on evolution further motivated Darwin to publish his work, leading to the foundational text On the Origin of Species.