1. The diversity of life CH 15-1

2. The diverse Planet We share our planet with millions of other species These species all have various differences like shape, size, and habitat These differences are known as biological diversity

3. Biodiversity Biological diversity was created through what we know today as Evolution Evolution is the theory that states that over large periods of time, an organism or species will change

4. Evolutionary Theory When studying evolutionary theory it is important to understand that it is theory and not law This means that the idea is testable and has been supported by evidence but has not been proven 100%

5. Darwinism The first person to do any research on the change in the diversity of life on planet earth was Charles Darwin He accomplished this by traveling the world aboard the H.M.S. Beagle

6. Darwin compiled his observations and brought back to England evidence of the changes in the species Shortly after, he compiled his work into a book called “The Origin of Species”

7. Darwin’s Observations During his travels, Darwin had made many observations about both plant and animal life at every stop on his voyage What intrigued him the most were the patterns of diversity he observed

8. Darwin’s observations One of Darwin’s observations was that so many of the species he came across were very well suited for their particular environment He also noted how similar environments were homes to sometimes very different life

9. Darwin’s Observations Besides observing living specimens, Darwin also wrote observations about fossils Fossils, preserved remains of once living organisms, were like puzzle pieces for Darwin

10. Fossils interested Darwin for two main reasons Some fossils looked very similar to current living species while others were very different What happened to the species that are no longer living

11. Of all the places the H.M.S. Beagle visited, the Galapagos Islands off the coast of South America were the most important stops It was here Darwin first came to some conclusions about biodiversity

12. The Galapagos Islands While on the Galapagos Islands, Darwin examined many animals and plants but we will concentrate on two of them The land tortoises The finches

13. Galapagos Tortoises There are several different types of tortoises on the Galapagos Islands They vary in many ways but most notably in shell shape It was noted by Darwin that the shape varies by which island they came from

14. Galapagos Finches While on the Galapagos Islands, Darwin also studied the finches that lived on the islands The differences in these birds was most notably their beaks

15. Darwin’s Conclusions On his voyage home to England, Darwin came to a few hypothesis His most notable was questioning if the different animals had once been members of the same species