Imagine if you may, that you have entered a time warp and traveled 182 years back in time… You have just graduated from university with a Bachelor’s degree in Theology. Somehow you lucked out and were selected to join of group of scientists on an expedition to map an uncharted region of South America. After having traveled a long, treacherous voyage from England on a 90 ft. long wooden ship with two large sails, your research vessel nears a remote island archipelago far away from the South American mainland. As the ship nears the island, you witness many sea lions, black iguanas and giant tortoises on the beach or on volcanic rocks basking in the sun. An occasional stingray swoops up into the air just long enough to enjoy the warmth of the sun. Sharks, seals and penguins swim nearby, unafraid of humans, careless and curious, almost welcoming you to their remote island home. Where is …show more content…
The year is 1835, just after the Napoleonic Wars when the British Navy was determined to map the uncharted areas of the world. Darwin’s ideas of the evolution of life on earth helped create the scientific breakthrough regarding Natural Selection. He would later culminate his work into his masterpiece “On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection”.
The Galapagos Islands are an archipelago spread throughout its 13 major islands and six smaller islands near the equator off the Ecuadorian coast. The islands are home to many different and unique animal species: giant tortoises, iguanas, seals, sea lions, sharks, rays, and over 25 species of native birds, 14 of which are a group known as Darwin’s finches. Darwin's finches are thought to be the fastest evolving vertebrates in the world because they quickly adapt to their rapidly changing environment in which they