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Darwin who?

Charles Darwin, author of The Origin of the Species
Charles Darwin, author of The Origin of the Species

by Katie Lamborn

It's the 150th Anniversary of Charles Darwin’s 'Origin of Species' on Tuesday, and it's been revealed that one in 10 of us has never even heard of him!

A top evolutionary professor calls the British Council's findings "very disappointing", with this year also being Darwin's 200th Birthday.

Professor Armond Leroi says the theorist’s work directly impacts on our everyday lives, giving us an explanation for all the diversity we see in the world: "If we worry about flu coming from the east, coming from the west, that’s evolution by natural selection.

"If we worry about the corals going extinct that's evolution by natural section. And even more if we look at all the diversity of culture and in the world that’s evolution by natural selection as well.”

Audio: Prof Armond Leroi on how the natural selection theory affects our daily lives

Darwin founded the concept of 'survival of the fittest' through natural selection – the fact that some individuals would be less likely to survive in a particular environment than others and therefore less likely to pass on their characteristics to future generations.

Charles Darwin lived in Downe in Kent and is thought of as one of the most revolutionary and influential theorists of all time.

Click here to find out more about Charles Darwin’s former home in Downe, Kent.

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