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==Early Career==
 
==Early Career==
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Darwin was originally in training for the clergy, but in doing so became the protege of the Reverend John Stevens Henslow, a professor of botany, and the Reverend Adam Sedgwick, a geologist.  Henslow and Sedgwick spurred Darwin to pursue his interests as a naturalist.  
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Darwin graduated tenth in his class at Christ's College in Cambridge (April, 1831). Although he intended on becoming a country parson and accepted the Bible as literally true, his intense interest in nature and discovering her secrets displaced his desire for a life as a clergyman. Darwin became the protege of the Reverend John Stevens Henslow, a professor of botany, and the Reverend Adam Sedgwick, a geologist.  Henslow and Sedgwick encouraged Darwin to pursue his interests as a naturalist.  
    
After touring the [[Galapagos Islands]] and studying the animals that lived there, Darwin developed an interest in the patterns of species distribution he had documented on the journey, as well as his realization that the economic theories of Thomas Malthus might have some application in the biological world.  Researching this issue on a global scale, he slowly developed his theory of [[natural selection]] and finally published ''[[The Origin of Species]]'' in [[1859]]. Darwin had not originally meant to publish his work so early in his life, and in fact was quite fearful of what the reception might be, but was prompted to do so after being contacted by another naturalist, Alfred Russel Wallace, who had developed similar ideas.
 
After touring the [[Galapagos Islands]] and studying the animals that lived there, Darwin developed an interest in the patterns of species distribution he had documented on the journey, as well as his realization that the economic theories of Thomas Malthus might have some application in the biological world.  Researching this issue on a global scale, he slowly developed his theory of [[natural selection]] and finally published ''[[The Origin of Species]]'' in [[1859]]. Darwin had not originally meant to publish his work so early in his life, and in fact was quite fearful of what the reception might be, but was prompted to do so after being contacted by another naturalist, Alfred Russel Wallace, who had developed similar ideas.
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