Darwin exhibition "The Origin of Cultivated Species" in the Faculty of Life Sciences garden all summer

17 June 2009

This year marks 150 years since the publication of Darwin's seminal work On the Origin of Species which revolutionised biology. 2009 also marks 151 years since the creation of the protected garden at LIFE- Faculty of Life Sciences at University of Copenhagen. Over the last 150 years, Darwin's work has had enormous influence on the applied research into plants and animals all over the world. To celebrate the anniversary, LIFE opens a special outdoor exhibition, where Copenhageners and visitors to Copenhagen can experience an exciting selection of the plant species that Darwin discusses in his works.

The exhibition opens on Friday 19 June and runs all summer, until 18 October. At the opening on 19 June, researchers will serve juice from new species of berries, and tell the audience how far science has come in the development of plants (please see the programme below).

At LIFE-Faculty of Life Sciences, researchers and other staff are delighted to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Darwin's seminal work On the Origin of Species.

- A very large part of today's life science research is based on Darwin's theory on the development of species from a common descent, for instance our research into the cause of a genetic disease. In his theory of natural selection, Darwin gave many examples of domestic animals and plants and thereby provided a breeding ground, as it were, for the emergent scientification of plants and animals in agriculture and forestry on which LIFE is based. It is, therefore, no coincidence that Darwin and LIFE celebrate their anniversary at almost the same time, says associated professor at LIFE, Thure Hauser

Further than Darwin could have dreamed possible

In addition to celebrating Darwin and his great work, the exhibition will provide the public with an opportunity to see how far we have come in the field of biology:

- There are many things that Darwin did not know about, genetics for example. Here at LIFE, we are proud to have had Wilhelm Johannsen who was the first scientist to distinguish between the effects of heredity and environment. Today, genetic research has come much further than Darwin could ever have dreamed possible, primarily because of another revolutionary discovery in the field of biology: the DNA, continues Thure Hauser.

The exhibition in the garden at LIFE-Faculty of Life Sciences, at Frederiksberg, shows a selection of the cultivated species and the variation that Darwin discussed in his works. The garden is full of examples of the diversity that we humans have bred over the years from a lesser number of wild parents.

Flower bed to celebrate Charles Darwin’s 200th birthday

Charles Darwin was the son of a British doctor and was born 200 years ago, in 1809.

To supplement the exhibition and to honour Charles Darwin, the Faculty's gardeners have planted a bed of flowers which celebrates his theory. The idea and the drawings for the bed were made by Kim Greiner, Head Gardener of the Faculty Garden. The practical creation of the bed was made in cooperation with gardener Gitte Arrild.

850 small and large houseleeks have been used to form the figures, and about 1,050 Lobularia "Ester Bonnet Deep Rose" provide the background. Furthermore the bed is edged with around 150 Anagallis "Skylover", a total of 2,050 plants. The bed can be found in the middle of the garden at the large temple tree east of the little lake.

Visitors to the garden who wish to know more about Darwin and the exhibition can buy a folder or a poster in the greenhouse café Café Væksthuset in the garden. From the end of June an English leaflet will also be available to visitors.