Naturalist on HMS Beagle

[ajordan]

Hey!! Just one question...

Who was the official naturalist on HMS Beagle(Darwin's voyage in 1830's)?


Thanks a bunch!!

[alextemplet]

It wasn't Darwin?

[Dustfinger]

Wasn't it only Darwin ?

[asutoshsahu]

Darwins grand father may be !!!!!!!!

[Darby]

As I understand it, the ship's surgeon was the "official" naturalist (that was the standard set-up in the merchant fleet), but was only too happy to let Darwin take on those responsibilities.

But I can't remember where I read it.

[alextemplet]

That might be true, but HMS Beagle wasn't a merchant ship, she was a warship, a Cherokee class brig. I don't think Royal Navy ships carried naturalists on a regular basis, but they did have surgeons, and certainly the Beagle would've had one. Surgeons at the time learned their skills through apprenticeship, and didn't have to possess degrees, so I'm not sure how educated most of them would've been in natural science. I think Darwin was on board not on official duty but as a guest of the captain, if I remember correctly.

[Darby]

True, true - since she was used in surveys that ultimately had more economic impact than military, I was thinking of her as a merchant vessel.

There are apparently several versions of just how Darwin wound up on the Beagle - a few "official" ones and some interpretations, based on class issues that were not really talked about, that don't quite match those.

[Dustfinger]

Well Darwins Granddad certainly wasn't on the BEAGLE. And Darwin wasn't there officially, just privately.

[ajordan]

Thanks everyone for answering my question!

It's a 5+ bonus in Biology. I already answered Darwin and that was wrong, but I did find out the answer. It was the surgeon, as another person said.