Darwin Medal facts for kids
The Darwin Medal is a special award given out every two years by the Royal Society. It honors scientists who do important work in areas of biology that Charles Darwin studied. This includes topics like evolution (how living things change over time), population biology (how groups of living things grow and interact), and biological diversity (the variety of life on Earth).
The medal was first given in 1890 and comes with a £2000 prize. Scientists from countries in the Commonwealth of Nations or the Republic of Ireland can receive it. They must either be a citizen of one of these nations or have lived there for at least three years before being nominated.
Since it started, the Darwin Medal has been awarded over 60 times. The very first person to receive it was Alfred Russel Wallace. He is famous for coming up with the theory of evolution by natural selection at the same time as Charles Darwin.
Who Has Received the Darwin Medal?
The Darwin Medal has been given to many amazing scientists over the years. Here are some of the first people who received this important award:
- 1890: Alfred Russel Wallace
* He received the medal for independently developing the idea of how species change over time through natural selection.
- 1892: Joseph Dalton Hooker
* He was honored for his big contributions to studying and classifying plants. He also worked closely with Charles Darwin on the ideas that led to Darwin's famous book, On the Origin of Species.
- 1894: Thomas Henry Huxley
* He was recognized for his research on comparing the bodies of different animals. He was also a close friend and supporter of Charles Darwin's work on evolution.
- 1896: Giovanni Battista Grassi
* He received the medal for his studies on the lives of termites and how eels develop.
- 1898: Karl Pearson
* He was awarded for his work using numbers and statistics to understand biological problems.
- 1900: Ernst Haeckel
* He was recognized for his long and important work in zoology (the study of animals), all inspired by Darwin's ideas.
- 1902: Francis Galton
* He received the medal for his many contributions to the careful study of heredity (how traits are passed down) and variation.
- 1904: William Bateson
* He was honored for his important work on how living things change and how traits are inherited, which helped the theory of evolution.
Many other scientists have received the Darwin Medal for their groundbreaking work in various fields of biology. Their research has helped us understand more about genetics, ecology, and how life on Earth has changed and continues to change over millions of years.
See also
In Spanish: Anexo:Medalla Darwin para niños
