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Marine iguanas—lizard-like reptiles of the Galápagos Islands—were some of the strange creatures Darwin encountered on his travels with the Beagle . Their strangeness caused him to start thinking about the origins of these creatures.

Words to Understand

brig— a two-masted sailing ship. The Beagle was adapted to carry a third mast. the Creation— God’s act of bringing the universe into being. evolution— gradual change in the characteristics of animals or plants over successive generations. fossil— the remains, impression or trace of plants or animals, contained in rock. geology— the scientific study of the origin, history, structure and composition of the earth.

lava— rock that has flowed in liquid form from a volcano. naturalist— someone who studies plants and animals.

natural selection— the theory whereby those animals and plants best suited to their environment survive, in turn producing correspondingly adapted offspring. species— a group of animals or plants that is alike in certain ways. theology— the study of religion.