The small, tentacled specimen that became a highlight of Charles Darwin’s historic collection
In short: Deep within the Natural History Museum lies a common octopus, collected by Charles Darwin in 1832. While often overshadowed by his famous finches or the groundbreaking On the Origin of Species, this small creature remains a distinguished member of the museum's vast, eighty-million-object collection and a testament to Darwin's early curiosity.
When Charles Darwin boarded the HMS Beagle for his five-year voyage, he began gathering specimens that would eventually reshape biological science. Among these early finds was a common octopus, Octopus vulgaris, which he collected off the coast of the Cape Verde islands in 1832. Today, this specimen is housed in the Natural History Museum in London, preserved within a massive spirit collection that contains 22 million items.
The octopus is frequently cited as a favourite of Darwin’s, though its significance extends beyond personal affection. It represents the breadth of his observations during the Beagle expedition, which spanned from marine life to geology. During the same period, Darwin was applying the principles of geologist Charles Lyell to understand slow-occurring geological changes. His observations of raised shell beds in Chile, which he compared to fossils on Cape Verde, led him to hypothesize that vertical movements from earthquakes could form massive mountain ranges like the Andes.
Darwin’s work during this voyage laid the groundwork for his later theories, including his famous study of evolution by natural selection. While his finches and pigeons are often credited as the primary inspiration for his ideas, his collection also included diverse specimens like the extinct Toxodon platensis and the giant ground sloth Megatherium americanum. The museum continues to curate these items, providing behind-the-scenes access to the type specimens that helped a young naturalist develop his revolutionary perspective on the natural world.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Charles Darwin and his favourite octopus | Natural History Museum
- Also: Museum highlights: Charles Darwin | Natural History Museum
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