What scientific subjects did Charles Darwin study at the University of Edinburgh?

Charles Darwin was sent to the University of Edinburgh in 1825 to study medicine, though he ultimately found the subject, particularly surgery and anatomy, distasteful.12

Despite his lack of interest in medical training, his time at the university provided a formative scientific education. His studies and experiences included:

• Geology: He learned to understand the chemistry of cooling rocks and how to identify rock strata.2
• Botany: He was taught to classify plants using the modern natural system.2
• Zoology: Under the mentorship of Robert Edmond Grant, he studied the growth and relationships of primitive marine invertebrates. He also conducted his own observations on larval sea mats (Flustra).2
• Taxidermy: He learned how to stuff birds from John Edmonstone.2

Additionally, Darwin was exposed to radical scientific ideas through student societies, where he engaged with concepts regarding human anatomy and the mental faculties of animals.2