DARWIN’s influence in the development of the igneous petrology

Abstract

DARWIN was one of the truly great scientists of his epoch. Although essentially known for his contributions to biology,
he also promoted the development of geology — especially in the field of igneous petrology — by his active involvement
in the controversies of his days. His interest in petrology was based on the observations he made during the Beagle
expedition. His theory on “magmatic differentiation” had a strong positive influence on the development of petrology.
The method he used for the development of this theory is very similar to that he propounded for the origin of species.