Initial sketch of a branching tree of life from Darwin’s notebook
Any theft is surely a cause for concern, even though millions of copies of that sketch are found in biology textbooks around the world and thousands of reproductions of it can be found on an internet search adorning T-shirts, facsimiles of the sketch, and even jewelry. No; the fragment of the true cross, or tree, is the only one for pilgrims to worship.
Something must be done! The thief must be punished, and an all-out search must be taken to return the precious relics to their shrine at the cathedral, or library, at the University of Cambridge. The university is calling on the public for help.
“I am heartbroken that the location of these Darwin notebooks, including Darwin’s iconic ‘Tree of Life’ drawing, is currently unknown,” Jessica Gardner, university librarian and director of library services, said in a statement. “But we’re determined to do everything possible to discover what happened and will leave no stone unturned during this process.“
The BBC News is up in arms, too. “Notebooks worth millions lost for 20 years,” announces Rebecca Jones in her coverage. “To have such an iconic object go missing is really a tragedy,” one scientist remarked. The world is on edge." CEH
