Today, evolution is perhaps the biggest story told by The Natural History Museum. Its importance is recognised symbolically by the positioning of a statue overlooking the central hall. Charles Darwin, the man who unravelled the workings of evolution following his famous five-year voyage on The Beagle. In the recent past, this prime position in the museum was held by the statue of the museum's founder, Richard Owen. Owen and Darwin spent years at loggerheads with opposing variations on evolutionary theory. When Darwin published The Origin of Species, Owen called it an abuse of science. Darwin wrote to a friend, saying, "It is painful to be hated in the intense degree with which Owen hates me," and some years later Owen lobbied against the extension of Kew Gardens, this prompted Darwin to write, "I used to be ashamed of hating him so much. But now I will carefully cherish my hatred and contempt to the last of my days."


如今，自然史博物馆里的主题或许就是进化论了。进化论的重要地位不难看出你只需俯瞰中央大厅，就能看到一座雕像。查尔斯·达尔文，众所周知，他乘贝格尔号舰环球旅行。五年后提出了自然选择的进化学说。不久前 本馆创始人理查德·欧文的雕像还占据着这一重要位置，欧文和达尔文对于进化论的观点。 欧文认为进化通过细胞内部的动力而发生自然选择学说太过唯理是机缘巧合，数年来针锋相对，各执一词，达尔文发表《物种起源》时，欧文则称之"滥用科学"。达尔文给他的朋友写信道，"欧文对我深恶痛绝，让我感觉很痛苦"。几年以后，欧文游说反对邱园的扩建，那促使达尔文写到"过去 对他的痛恨令我羞愧。如今，我会怀揣着这份仇恨和蔑视直至生命的尽头"