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What led Darwin to believe that organisms originate from a common ancestor?

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Darwin developed his theory of evolution through a combination of observations and speculation, drawing on evidence from comparative anatomy, paleontology, biogeography, and embryology. His research on the Galapagos Islands, where he observed the variation of finches and tortoises among different islands, was particularly influential in shaping his ideas about evolution.

Darwin believed that all modern organisms are descended from a common ancestor because of the similarities he observed in their morphological and anatomical structures, as well as the patterns of distribution of living species across the globe. He also recognized the importance of variation within species, and how certain traits can gradually become more or less common over time based on natural selection.

Overall, Darwin's belief in common ancestry was supported by the evidence he gathered from a variety of sources, and continues to be a cornerstone of modern evolutionary theory.

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