Physical description

The Origin of Species
Author: Charles Darwin
Publisher: John Murray
Date: 1860

Publication type

non-fiction

Inscriptions & markings

Label on spine cover with typed text R.H. 575 DAR
Paste down end page has sticker from Corangamite Regional Library Service

Summary

The Origin of Species is Charles Darwin’s landmark 1859 book, and it introduced the idea that species change over time through natural selection. Darwin drew on observations from his voyage on the HMS Beagle, especially evidence from the Galapagos Islands, to argue that living things share common ancestry and adapt through inherited variation.
Darwin’s central claim argues that individuals with traits better suited to their environment are more likely to survive and reproduce, so those traits become more common over generations. The book challenged the idea of special creation and became the foundation of modern evolutionary biology. The book is considered one of the most influential scientific works ever written because it provided a unifying explanation for the diversity of life. It also sparked major scientific and religious debate that continues to this day.