Charles Darwin quiz: Test your knowledge on the 'father of evolution'

Clack-and-white photograph of Charles Darwin sitting in a chair. Darwin is old and has a long white beard.
Charles Darwin was a British naturalist, biologist and geologist. (Image credit: Bettmann/Getty Images)

Charles Darwin was a 19th century British naturalist. He is best known for his theory of evolution by natural selection, which transformed the way scientists view and interpret life on Earth.

Darwin's theory, popularized in his book "On the Origin of Species," states that pressures in the environment determine which members of a species survive long enough to reproduce. The individuals of a species that are best adapted to their environment more often reproduce and pass on their genes to the next generation, spreading certain physical and behavioral traits in the population. Eventually, those traits — such as giraffes' long necks or polar bears' white fur — come to dominate and shape the evolution of the species.

The theory of evolution by natural selection still forms the bedrock of evolutionary thought today. But how much do you know about the man behind the theory? Take our quiz to find out.

Sascha Pare
Trainee staff writer

Sascha is a U.K.-based trainee staff writer at Live Science. She holds a bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of Southampton in England and a master’s degree in science communication from Imperial College London. Her work has appeared in The Guardian and the health website Zoe. Besides writing, she enjoys playing tennis, bread-making and browsing second-hand shops for hidden gems.