Celebrations for the 200th anniversary of the birth of the man whose book "On The Origin of Species" transformed how we see the natural world have captivated fellow scientists, royalty, religious leaders, historians, presidents, conservationists and tourist officials around the world.
Thousands of people have flocked to the biggest exhibition of his work at London's Natural History where the star attractions are two unremarkable stuffed birds lying on a purple velvet cushion in a glass case at the entrance to the show.
The mockingbirds from the Galapagos Islands gave Darwin the first clues to his famous evolutionary theory. He noted that the birds varied slightly from island to island, suggesting that species with a common ancestry evolve over time.
"It's the most important theory in modern biology and the background to all our scientists' work," said the museum's Alex Gaffikin, who helped stage the exhibition.
