On The Origin Of Species Annotated

Presents Darwin's masterwork on evolution with extensive annotations by an experienced field biologist.

First published in 1859, this landmark book on evolutionary biology was not the first to deal with the subject, but it went on to become a sensation—and a controversial one for many religious people who could not reconcile Darwin’s science with their faith. Darwin worked on the book for over 20 years before its publication. The radical crux of his scientific theory was the idea of natural selection, which meant that chance, not a divine Creator, played a great role in humanity's advancement and that individuals who weren't physically able to adapt with the greater populace died off.

The Origin of Species is the magnum opus of natural scientist Charles Darwin. In the book Darwin presents the theory that populations evolve over the course of generations through the process of natural selection. The book goes on to present a body of evidence for the hypothesis that the diversity of life in this way arose by common descent through a branching pattern of evolution. Darwin had gathered much of his evidence for the book on the Beagle expedition in the 1830s to among other places the Galápagos Islands.

This is the first edition of Charles Darwin's On the Origin of Species, published on November 24, 1859 in London by John Murray. It is a seminal work in scientific literature and a landmark work in evolutionary biology. It introduced the 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. The starting chapters introduce the theory of natural selection, explaining why certain species thrive, while others decrease in number, how the members of nature are in competition with each other and why organisms tend to vary and change with time. Much of this work is based on experiments and observations seen within domestic animals and plants. The later chapters defend the theory of natural selection against apparent inconsistencies, why geological records are incomplete, why we find species so widespread and how sterility can be inherited when the organisation is unable to reproduce and more. The book is approachable for any audience.

A grain in the balance will determine which individual shall live and which shall die...'.

The sixth and final edition of Charles Darwin’s groundbreaking work that introduced the theory of evolution by means of natural selection. First published in 1859, Charles Darwin’s On the Origin of Species introduced the scientific theory of evolution by means of natural selection, a revolutionary idea at the time. Fiercely debated on its release, Darwin’s famous work was revised several times over the following decade, partly to refute the scientific and religious objections of the author’s contemporaries. In this sixth edition of On the Origin of Species, Darwin lays out his theory by citing his studies done in the Galápagos aboard the HMS Beagle in the 1830s, as well as his follow-up research over the ensuing two decades.

Charles Darwin challenged many of the most deeply-held beliefs of the western world. Arguing for a material, not divine, origin of species, he showed that new species are achieved by 'natural selection'.

Charles Darwin's On the Origin of Species, in which he writes of his theories of evolution natural selection, is one of the most important works of scientific study ever published.