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Simon Crowhurst's quirky design gained him first prize in the adult (19 ) category of the Designing Darwin Competition run by the British Society for the History of Science (BSHS). ̽��ֱ��winning entries will be announced at the Three Societies Conference at Keble College, Oxford, on Saturday 5 July.

̽��ֱ��Designing Darwin Competition was organised by the BSHS as part of celebrations to mark the bi-centenary of the birth of Charles Darwin. Entries came from all over the UK and other parts of Europe too.

Founded in 1947, the BSHS is Britain's largest learned society devoted to the history of science, technology and medicine. Members include lecturers, writers, students, teachers, museum curators and private individuals. Its aim is to bring together people with interests in all aspects of the field.

Simon, a Senior Research Technician who works on marine climate records at the Department of Earth Sciences, has been fascinated by Darwin ever since he was given a book about the voyage of the Beagle when he was 12.

His design shows the famously bearded profile of Darwin's face, outlined in creatures which begin as basic “tetrapods” (four legged animals resembling lizards or amphibians) and then go on to develop wings, feathers, hooves and other modifications.

Dr Patricia Fara, a member of the BSHS Council and Senior Tutor at Clare College, as well as author of several books on the history of science, was one of the competition judges. She said: “What we liked about Simon's design was that it told the story of evolution in a striking yet informative way.'

Simon said he was thrilled to win a prize for a design which he had submitted on the day of the deadline. “I played with various ideas and this one came to me as I tried to combine evolutionary lines with the distinctive Darwinian profile — especially his beard!”

A keen amateur model-maker, and scavenger of skips, Simon has made dozens of one-off models for events such Cambridge Science Festival and Bridge the Gap charity walk — and once flew a 12-foot wingspan pterosaur on a wire across the main courtyard of the Downing Site.

He has also made models of a “dino-bird”, a huge sauropod foot, and the skull of a plesiosaur, and has created backdrops for the Sedgwick Museum of Earth Sciences — all on a voluntary basis. “Any excuse and I am in my shed making my wife cross,” he said.