Charles Darwin, born in 1809, upset the foundations of life science with his theory that man descended from the apes.  His Theory of Evolution developed from his five year trip as a naturalist on the brigantine The Beagle.  Observing the magnificent biodiversity of flora and fauna around the world, he deduced that natural selection accounted for the transmission of beneficial traits to descendants of species as they competed for success adapted to local climatic and geographical conditions.  He spent 23 years perfecting his sacrilegious theory and in 1859 published his revolutionary book, “On the Origin of the Species”.  Work by naturalist Alfred Russell and scholar Robert Malthus supported his theory, and people breeding domestic animals and agricultural plants were already facilitating natural selection.  His autobiography in 1876 reflected and explained his life’s remarkable work.