Darwin’s theory of Evolution by Natural Selection is the most important tool used by modern Biologist, but despite its simplicity, it is often misunderstood. This talk presents a historical perspective to the development of Darwin’s ideas and highlights some of his local influences from around the West Midlands.

Charles Darwin was not the first to think about Evolution but he was the first to get it right. Ideas about Evolution can be traced back to the ancient Greeks and beyond, but the development of ideas about changes in plants and animals has often been seen as dangerous, conflicting with the social and religious dogma of the times. Charles Darwin was implicitly and explicitly aware of the impact of his ideas. In refining his theories, he drew on influences from his education and family background in Shrewsbury, the West Midlands and beyond. Without these local inputs, he might never have developed the theory that today underpins all of the Biosciences.

The talk will outline the historical development of the ideas highlighting the evidence for these being dangerous. The issues related to the semantics of the subject and some of the recent issues will be discussed.