Other editions of book The Origin of Species

The Origin of Species is a work of scientific literature by Charles Darwin which is considered to be the foundation of evolutionary biology. Darwin's book introduced the scientific theory that populations evolve over the course of generations through a process of natural selection. It presented a body of evidence that the diversity of life arose by common descent through a branching pattern of evolution. Darwin included evidence that he had gathered on the Beagle expedition in the 1830s and his subsequent findings from research, correspondence, and experimentation.The Origin of Species attracted widespread interest upon its publication. As Darwin was an eminent scientist, his findings were taken seriously and the evidence he presented generated scientific, philosophical, and religious discussion. Within two decades there was widespread scientific agreement that evolution, with a branching pattern of common descent, had occurred. In the 1930s and 1940s, Darwin's concept of natural selection became central to modern evolutionary theory, and it has now become the unifying concept of the life sciences.

I will here give a brief sketch of the progress of opinion on the Origin of Species. Until recently the great majority of naturalists believed that species were immutable productions, and had been separately created. This view has been ably maintained by many authors. Some few naturalists, on the other hand, have believed that species undergo modification, and that the existing forms of life are the descendants by true generation of pre-existing forms. Passing over allusions to the subject in the classical writers,* the first author who in modem times has treated it in a scientific spirit was Buffon. But as his opinions fluctuated greatly at different periods, and as he does not enter on the causes or means of the transformation of species, I need not here enter on details.*Aristot)e, in his ' Physic.-e Auscultatories' (lib. 2, cap. S, s. 2), after remarking that rain does not fall in order to make the corn grow, any more than it falls to spoil the farmer's corn when threshed out Table of Contents EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION 5; AN HISTORICAL SKETCH; Of the Progress of Opinion on the Origin of Species 9; INTRODUCTION21; CHAPTER I; Variation under Domestication25; CHAPTER II; Variation under Nature58; CHAPTER III Struggle for Existence76; CHAPTER IV; Natural Selection; or the Survival of the Fittest 93; CHAPTER V; Laws of Variation145; CHAPTER VI Difficulties of the Theory17S; CHAPTER VII PAGE; Miscellaneous Objections to the Theory of Natural Selection219; CHAPTER VIII Instinct262; CHAPTER IX; Hybridism298; CHAPTER X; On the Imperfection of the Geological Record 333; CHAPTER XI; On the Geological Succession of Organic Beinss 364; CHAPTER XII Geographical Distribution395; CHAPTER XIII Geographical Distribution-continued 427; CHAPTER XIV; Mutual Affinities of Organic Beings: Morphology: Embryology: Rudimentary Organs 450; CHAPTER XV Recapitulation and Conclusion499; GLOSSARY531; INDEX541

On December 27, 1831, the young naturalist Charles Darwin left Plymouth Harbor aboard the HMS Beagle. For the next five years, he conducted research on plants and animals from around the globe, amassing a body of evidence that would culminate in one of the greatest discoveries in the history of mankind-the theory of evolution.Darwin presented his stunning insights in a landmark book that forever altered the way human beings view themselves and the world they live in. In The Origin of Species, Darwin convincingly demonstrates the fact of evolution: that existing animals and plants cannot have appeared separately but must have slowly transformed from ancestral creatures. Most important, the book fully explains the mechanism that effects such a transformation: natural selection, the idea that made evolution scientifically intelligible for the first time.One of the few revolutionary works of science that is readily accessible to the nonscientist, The Origin of Species not only launched the science of modern biology but has also influenced virtually all subsequent literary, philosophical, and religious thinking.

Charles Darwin’s Origin of Species (publ. 1859) is a pivotal work in scientific literature and arguably the pivotal work in evolutionary biology. The book’s full title is On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life. It introduced the theory that populations evolve over the course of generations through a process of natural selection. It was controversial because it contradicted religious beliefs which underlay the then current theories of biology. Darwin’s book was the culmination of evidence he had accumulated on the voyage of the Beagle in the 1830s and added to through continuing investigations and experiments since his return.

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

Published 150 years ago, in 1859, The Origin of Species revolutionized science, philosophy, and religion. Others had had formulated evolutionary theories, but it was Charles Darwin who gathered and documented the supporting evidence--on domestic animals and plants, on variability, on sexual selection, on dispersal--that swept most scientists before it. One of the most readable and accessible of the great works of scientific imagination, this is a book everyone should read. Newly designed and typeset in a modern 6-by-9-inch format by Waking Lion Press.

Darwin’s theory is based on the notion of variation. It argues that the numerous traits and adaptations that differentiate species from each other also explain how species evolved over time and gradually diverged. Variations in organisms are apparent both within domesticated species and within species throughout the natural world. Variations in colors, structures, organs, and physical traits differentiate a multitude of species from one another. Heredity is the mechanism that perpetuates variations, Darwin argues, as traits are passed from parents to offspring. What is important about these variations to Darwin, though, is the way they allow species to adapt and survive in the natural world. He gives numerous examples of variations that illustrate the wondrous adaptations that allow species to survive in their natural environments: the beak that allows the woodpecker to gather insects, the wings that allow the bat to fly, the paddles that allow the porpoise to swim, and so on. Darwin hypothesizes that the minor variations we see within a single species—such as variations in size, shape, and color of organisms—are related to the more distinct variations seen across different species. His theory of evolution explains how variations cause the origin of species.

The famous On the Origin of Species by Charles Darwin. Join Darwin as he lays out his fascinating observations and theories about evolution, mutation, natural selection and more! If you are a science nut or are just looking for a fascinating science read, then On the Origin of Species by Charles Darwin is for you! Enjoy On the Origin of Species by Charles Darwin today!