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Darwin Charles Quizzes, Trivia and Puzzles
Darwin Charles Quizzes, Trivia

Charles Darwin Trivia

Charles Darwin Trivia Quizzes

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3 Charles Darwin quizzes and 30 Charles Darwin trivia questions.
1.
  Charles Robert Darwin   great trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Charles Darwin, despite initial controversy caused by the theory of evolution was widely respected by the time of his death. Take a trip though Darwin's life to see how he became perhaps the most important scientist ever. Ever ever.
Average, 10 Qns, Pangea250, Nov 17 12
Average
Pangea250
570 plays
2.
  Charles Darwin    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Charles Darwin, the great British scientist who changed the way we look at life, revolutionized the history of science forever. How well do you know his story?
Average, 10 Qns, aearluin, Apr 19 11
Average
aearluin
853 plays
3.
  Charles Darwin and the Theory of Evolution    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
A biography and biology. If you are interested in the theory of evolution, play this quiz and learn about the man behind it all.
Difficult, 10 Qns, onlytrivial, Jul 14 20
Difficult
onlytrivial
Jul 14 20
1322 plays

Charles Darwin Trivia Questions
1. Charles Darwin's theory of evolution drastically changed our view of the world. He based his theory largely on evidence he saw and collected during a five week visit to a group of volcanic islands in the Pacific Ocean in 1831. Name those islands.

From Quiz Charles Robert Darwin

Answer: Galapagos Islands.

The Galapagos Islands are a group of 19 islands formed by volcanic activity. They are located on the equator about 600 miles (1,000 km) west of Ecuador.

2. Young Charles was born in Shrewsbury, England. When?

From Quiz Charles Darwin

Answer: 12 February 1809

He was the son of Robert Darwin and Susannah Wedgwood.

3. Charles had two famous grandfathers. One was Josiah Wedgwood on his mother's side, famous for pottery manufacturing. Who was the well known scientist on his father's side?

From Quiz Charles Darwin and the Theory of Evolution

Answer: Erasmus & Erasmus Darwin

Erasmus was known for his strange ideas, a bit like Charles at the time, and possibly pondered a little on the science of evolution for a while. Another of his whacky interests was air travel.

4. Prior to a 5 year ship voyage that included the legendary visit to the Pacific islands, Charles Darwin stopped his studies to become a priest. What other areas of study did he never complete?

From Quiz Charles Robert Darwin

Answer: He dropped out of medical school to avoid failing out.

Darwin was not terribly motivated when studying topics that did not interest him. His father was quite concerned that young Charles would amount to nothing and would cause much embarrassment to the Darwin family name. Imagine that!

5. One of his close relatives was also a naturalist, and someone who defended the idea of evolution. Who was it?

From Quiz Charles Darwin

Answer: Erasmus Darwin, grandfather

Erasmus Darwin was a well-known doctor, but also a naturalist and was well known as a poet. His book "Zoonomia" defended a form of evolution similar to Lamarckism.

6. Darwin's oceanic voyage took place on the HMS Beagle, a ship commissioned to survey the coast of South America. How long was the voyage?

From Quiz Charles Robert Darwin

Answer: 4 years and 9 months, almost 2 years longer than expected.

The voyage was intended to last three years, but extended nearly two years beyond its expected end. During this time, Darwin sent multiple packages of animal and plant samples and as well as his detailed notes and drawings back to colleagues in England.

7. In 1825, Darwin went to college, to study medicine. At which university did he study?

From Quiz Charles Darwin

Answer: Edinburgh

Later, Darwin studied in Cambridge where he met John Henslow, a great friend and mentor.

8. What was the purpose of Darwin's presence on the HMS Beagle?

From Quiz Charles Robert Darwin

Answer: Darwin was to be a scholarly companion to the ship's captain.

As was customary for that time period, a British captain never interacted socially with his crew. The voyage would be a lonely one for the captain with no one to talk to. Darwin was invited along to provide scholarly and stimulating conversation. The two men got along quite well, as a matter of fact, except for an instance when Darwin tried to convince the captain that treating human slaves as property was wrong. The captain was incensed, but later apologized to Darwin. Darwin did later publish a paper outlining the reasons why slavery was reprehensible and repulsive.

9. On which ship did Darwin sail around the world?

From Quiz Charles Darwin and the Theory of Evolution

Answer: Beagle

Darwin was an unpaid scientist aboard the Beagle. It was his job to study rocks and plants and animals on the journey. Unfortunately, Darwin was seasick for the start of the journey but overcame this.

10. Why did the HMS Beagle make a stop on the Galapagos Islands?

From Quiz Charles Robert Darwin

Answer: The Galapagos Islands were a prime source of food. The giant tortoises could be brought on board and kept alive for months, allowing the crew to eat fresh food even though out at sea for extended periods time.

50 giant tortoises were taken onboard the HMS Beagle, who felt the tortoises were simply an endless food source. Like almost every other animal on the Galapagos Islands, the giant tortoise has no natural land predators on Galapagos. The wildlife on the islands was and is still remarkably tame. The iguanas, birds, tortoises, lizards, bats, geckos, rats, penguins, sea lions and seals are all tame, fearless and completely approachable by humans.

11. The captain of the "Beagle" came to be a good friend of Darwin, although their opinions were usually the opposite. What was the captain's name?

From Quiz Charles Darwin

Answer: Captain Robert Fitzroy

Captain Fitzroy was very conservative, and defended a literal interpretation of the Bible. He never accepted Darwin's position about the evolution of life.

12. What was the acknowledged short title of Darwin's ground-breaking book, in which he presented his theory of evolution?

From Quiz Charles Darwin

Answer: On the Origin of Species

The full title is "On the Origin of Species by means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life". The book was published in November 1859 and changed the world forever.

13. Perhaps one of the most famous species of animals that Darwin studied were the ________ of the Galapagos Islands.

From Quiz Charles Darwin and the Theory of Evolution

Answer: finches

Perhaps one of the finest examples of evolution in action. Each island had a different species of finch. And each species of finch had a different sized beak. The finches with the largest beak lived on an island with plenty of hard nuts, while the smallest-beaked finch lived on an island where the main food source was insects. This shows how well these birds have adapted to their environment.

14. The work of a famous geologist was fundamental to Darwin's theory of evolution. Who was that geologist?

From Quiz Charles Darwin

Answer: Charles Lyell

Lyell took the view that the forces such as volcanism, weather and erosion, earthquakes etc. that contributed to the Earth we have to today are the same as those currently forming in nature. All it takes is a very long period of time to bring about those changes. After reading about this, Darwin slowly understood that the same principle could be true for living organisms.

15. Charles Darwin married Emma Wedgewood in 1839. A very religious woman, she feared her husband's salvation was in jeopardy due to the ideas he had begun to theorize. How did Charles and Emma meet?

From Quiz Charles Robert Darwin

Answer: They were first cousins.

It was acceptable at that time to marry a cousin.

16. The man who invented the word "Dinosaurus" (dinosaur) was a great critic of Darwin's theory. Who was this?

From Quiz Charles Darwin

Answer: Richard Owen

Owen had worked in collaboration with Darwin, studying many of the fossils that he brought from South America during his expedition on the "Beagle". After "On the Origin of Species" was published, he was one of the first to publicly criticise Darwin's theory.

17. What was the name of the scientist doing similar work to Darwin in Papua New Guinea?

From Quiz Charles Darwin and the Theory of Evolution

Answer: Alfred Wallace

Alfred Wallace also had come up with a theory of evolution similar to Darwin's. They both produced papers but in the end it was Darwin who went ahead and published his research. John Henslow and Adam Sedgwick were both naturalists who taught Darwin at Cambridge University. Joseph Banks was a well known English botanist.

18. While Darwin was slowly writing his most famous book, another scientist developed a theory of evolution that was almost identical to the one defended by Darwin. Who was this scientist?

From Quiz Charles Darwin

Answer: Alfred Russell Wallace

Working in Malaysia, Wallace created a theory of evolution that was almost identical to Darwin's. The risk of having Wallace present the theory first was one of the things that made Darwin hurry the publishing of his work.

19. Darwin wrote a book about the origin of man, which was as controversial as "On the Origin of Species". What was the title?

From Quiz Charles Darwin

Answer: The Descent of Man and Selection in Relation to Sex

This book, published in 1871, also included Darwin's first defense of his original work on evolution, published 12 years before.

20. What disease is Charles Darwin now thought to have had?

From Quiz Charles Darwin and the Theory of Evolution

Answer: Chagas Disease

Charles Darwin was quite sick in his later years. He is now believed to have caught Chagas Disease while in South America. This disease is caused by the bite of of a certain bug.

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