Darwin's evolution ship 'found'

The Age ^ | February 15, 2004 | AAP

[yonif]

British archaeologists believed they have finally located the long-lost remnants of HMS Beagle, the ship which took Charles Darwin on the voyage during which he formulated the theory of evolution, a report says.

The fate of the Beagle, which carried Darwin for five years from 1851, has remained a mystery for more than a century.

However, according to The Observer, archaeologists using advanced ground-penetrating radar think they have found it buried under mud in a river estuary in Essex, south-east England.

"I am quietly confident we have found the Beagle," marine archaeologist Robert Prescott of Scotland's St Andrews University told the newspaper.

The radar image shows a ship similar in size to the Beagle - which was used as a customs boat after Darwin's voyage - lying under three metres of mud near a long-abandoned dock, Prescott said.

"Most of the upper part of the ship may have gone, but we have the lower part and hull, and who knows what remnants of Darwin's trip may still lie down there," he said.

"That is why this ship is so intriguing."

Darwin's voyage took him on a lengthy surveying trip of South America and the Galapagos Islands.

From notes he took about differences in birds and animal life, Darwin concluded that species change gradually over time through a process of natural selection, which benefits those best adapted to their environment.

His ideas were published in 1859 in On the Origin of Species, attracting vehement criticism from Christians before eventually becoming accepted as one of the most important scientific theories in history.

[nuconvert]

HMS Beagle Pong

[weegee]

Was Piltdown Man listed among the passengers?

[PatrickHenry]

Was Piltdown Man listed among the passengers?

Yes. Sharing a cabin with Emelia Ehrhardt.

[I got the rope]

He had a degree in Theology from Cambridge I believe. He was a brilliant scientist/naturalist that had friends like biology professor John Stevens Henslow and geology professor Adam Sedgwick. Look them up. Darwin was always a Christian...much to the chagrin of SOME here.

[I got the rope]

Should we take bets on which part of the ship we will find them? LOL

[Virginia-American]

Darwin was always a Christian

He's buried in Westminster Abbey.

[Oztrich Boy]

Thank for the reminder. I forgot about The Three Scientists

I'll be forgetting about the Sacred Crown's Supreme Representaive-General of the Holy Orthodox Patriachal Imperiality, His Pontifical Eminence the Most Venerable Prelate Monseignor, the Zambourian Nouri, John Joseph, Prince of Nouri, DD, LLD(by Divine Providence), Chaldean Patriachal Archdeacon of Babylon and Jerusalem, Grand Apostolic Ambassador of Malabar, India, and Persia next.

[weegee]

She didn't happen to have a copy of Howard Hughes' will with her, did she?

[xzins]

If it was used as a customs boat afterwards and is nearly rotted away, why in the world would anyone think, as the article says, "who knows what remnants of Darwin's trip may still lie down there."

I'm guessing someone's trying to restore it because of their religion.....and it's first prophet.

[bethelgrad]

I think that is an urban legend.

[JimSEA]

I recalled having read the following at several sources:

It has been supposed that Darwin renounced evolution on his deathbed. Shortly after his death, temperance campaigner and evangelist Lady Elizabeth Hope claimed she visited Darwin at his deathbed, and witnessed the renunciation. Her story was printed in a Boston newspaper and subsequently spread. Lady Hope's story was refuted by Darwin's daughter Henrietta who stated, "I was present at his deathbed ... He never recanted any of his scientific views, either then or earlier."

found at

http://www2.lucidcafe.com/lucidcafe/library/96feb/darwin.html

[Professional Engineer]

ping

[js1138]

Looks like the whole gang's back, including batman.

[Rebelbase]

A tortoise Darwin brought to Australia on board the Beagle is still alive today.

[<1/1,000,000th%]

LOL! ;)

[Alamo-Girl]

Thanks for the ping!

[Alamo-Girl]

I'm guessing someone's trying to restore it because of their religion.....and it's first prophet.

Indeed. Thanks for the ping!

[UbonGhostrider]

Lot's of people "get religon" when they face the grim reaper and the final judgement.

[codyjacksmom]

To bad so many people can't do it while they're living so they can actually live their lives and not just exist.

[jennyp]

To bad so many people can't do it while they're living so they can actually live their lives and not just exist.

...which is why you must give your life over to Zeus instead of that young Galilean pretender! :-)

Ok, seriously, does anyone here know if Darwin's theory of how atolls & barrier reefs were formed turned out to be correct? He came up with his theory during the voyage after the Galapagos, when the Beagle was travelling thru Malaysia, Indonesia, & the Indian Ocean. It's a very slick piece of reasoning, and I never heard of it until I read Voyage of the Beagle.