Darwin days

McGill’s Redpath Museum dedicates this
month to the father of evolution

CELEBRATING NATURAL SELECTION: Ingrid Birker

by CHRISTOPHER HAZOU

In 1859, British naturalist Charles Darwin published The Origin of Species and revolutionized the way that human beings saw themselves and their place in the universe. In it, he expounded his now famous theory of evolution, which posits that all life on Earth developed through a gradual process of natural selection over millions of years. The implications were far reaching, profound and deeply unsettling to many. Even today, a century and a half later, evolution remains a controversial proposition in some quarters, despite Darwin’s vindication by time.

This year marks not only the 150th anniversary of Darwin’s landmark work, but also the 200th anniversary of his birth. To celebrate the occasion, McGill’s Redpath Museum is holding a series of public events in February. “For the world of biology, he’s the cornerstone,” says Ingrid Birker, the Redpath’s science outreach coordinator. “The Origin of Species is like the bible, it outlines the fundamental mechanisms for how life came to exist on this planet.”

Darwin the man was a shy and reclusive figure who suffered frequent bouts of illness. “He has this mystique about him,” Birker says. “[But] he was probably not a happy camper. He was plagued all his life by gastrointestinal malaise. He had to set up a vomitorium right beside his desk, in a little closet.”

Remarkably, Darwin never taught, lectured or held any kind of academic position. He worked at home, published his findings and left the arguing to surrogates. “He never did a public debate, ever,” says Birker. “He had a champion, a guy named Thomas Huxley. They called him ‘Darwin’s Bulldog.’”

His ideas on the origins of life began to coalesce during a five-year journey around the world that began in 1931, when he was fresh out of college. He chronicled his experiences in The Voyage of the Beagle, which brought him fame and respect from his peers, but it would be more than 20 years before he finally published his complete findings in one volume under the title On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection.

The Redpath’s celebrations kick off with a theatrical reading, Emma Darwin’s Cookbook, based on a recently published collection of recipes from the kitchen of the Darwin household, performed by Montreal playwright Colleen Curran and actor Sylvia Cymbalista. It includes some rather odd, handwritten instructions from Darwin on how to make rice. “I think it finishes with him doing some sort of fanning procedure with an ostrich feather or something bizarre like that,” says Birker. The performance takes place Sunday, Feb. 8, from 10 a.m. to noon, and will be accompanied by the serving of

Victorian tea and scones. Tickets cost $5, $3 for students and seniors. (All other events are free.)

Activities for the kids are front and centre with “Evolution—It’s About Time!” on Feb. 15, from 1–5 p.m., which Birker describes as “very interactive and very informal.” McGill biology and anthropology students, members of the Redpath Museum Club, will explain the basics of evolution to the wee ones and answer some frequently asked questions.

Finally, on Thursday, Feb. 19, an all-star panel of McGill evolutionary experts including noted dinosaur hunter Hans Larsson, Graham Bell, Virginie Millien and Professor Emeritus Robert Carroll, will explore “What Darwin didn’t know”, beginning at 6 p.m.

ALL EVENTS TAKE PLACE AT THE
REDPATH MUSEUM (859 SHERBROOKE
W.). FOR MORE INFO VISIT
MCGILL.CA/REDPATH OR CALL
(514) 398-4086 (X4094)