On the Origin of Species (Knickerbocker Classics)

503 Pages·2018·10.45 MB·English

by  Amit Hagar

O O S
N THE RIGIN OF PECIES
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O O S
N THE RIGIN OF PECIES
C D
HARLES ARWIN
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ISBN: 978-1-63106-426-5
Digital edition: 978-0-76036-139-9
Softcover edition: 978-1-63106-426-5
Editor: Milton Creek Editorial Services
Cover Design: Phil Buchanan
Cover Pattern: Amy Ormond
Printed in China
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C
ONTENTS
introduction to the new edition vii
introduction xv
an historical sketch xxi
i. variation under domestication 1
ii. variation under nature 35
iii. struggle for existence 50
iv. natural selection 68
v. laws of variation 116
vi. difficulties on theory 152
vii. instinct 185
viii. hybridism 219
ix. on the imperfection of the
geological record 249
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x. on the geological succession
of organic beings 279
xi. geographical distribution 310
xii. geographical distribution—continued 344
xiii. mutual affinities of organic beings:
morphology: embryology:
rudimentary organs 370
xiv. recapitulation and conclusion 414
glossary 443
endnotes 462
the life and times of charles darwin 464
further reading 468
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I N E
NTRODUCTION TO THE EW DITION
Charles Darwin’s On the Origin of Species, published in England in 1859,
was written for the non-specialist and attracted considerable atten-
tion upon its publication. Presenting a variety of evidence for the the-
ory of natural selection, the book generated passionate discussions
among scientists, clergymen, philosophers, and the general public.
Its first edition—the 1,250 copies of which sold out immediately for
15 shillings a print—was followed by five more editions in Darwin’s
life. During that time, many corrections and revisions were incorpo-
rated into the text as replies to counterarguments and objections
from scientists and clergymen.
Based on Darwin’s lifelong research in botany, zoology, and geol-
ogy, the book’s depth and breadth make it important to anyone
interested in the development of the scientific and philosophical
ideas that shaped the twentieth century, and in particular the life sci-
ences. The namesake for evolution, On the Origin of Species drew a lot of
attention outside Britain, especially in the US, and so far has been
translated into twenty-seven languages. It has also generated many
cultural memes, including the famous term “survival of the fittest”
(coined by Herbert Spencer after reading Darwin’s book and intro-
duced in 1869 to the book’s fifth edition) and the equally famous
vii
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viii F INTRODUCTION TO THE NEW EDITION
illustration The March of Progress (drawn by Rudolph Zallinger for the
1965 Time-Life book Early Man).
“A man who dares to waste one hour of time has not discovered
the value of life,” said the father of evolutionary biology, his own life
exemplifying the truth in those words. Born in 1809 in Shrewsbury,
England, to a wealthy family whose members included the abolition-
ist Erasmus Darwin and the entrepreneur Josiah Wedgwood, Charles
Robert Darwin showed a taste for natural history from early child-
hood. Following his physician father, Darwin enrolled in the Univer-
sity of Edinburgh Medical School, at that time the best in England, but
to the annoyance of his father, quickly found the lectures uninterest-
ing and the surgeries stressful, and so neglected his coursework. As a
result, his father sent him to Christ’s College, Cambridge, to become
a parish priest. There, Darwin was exposed to the ideas of William
Paley, the English clergyman known for his views on teleology and
natural theology (and in particular, the argument for a divine design
in nature); the writings of John Herschel, the natural philosopher;
and the works of Alexander von Humboldt, the scientist traveler.
After graduating Cambridge, Darwin planned to embark on his
own career as a priest naturalist by setting off to Tenerife with his class-
mates to study the natural history of the tropics, but his plan was soon
modified. In late summer 1831 he received a letter from his Cambridge
mentor and friend, the botanist John Henslow, who recommended
him to Captain Robert Fitzroy. Fitzroy was preparing the HMS Beagle
for a two-year journey around the world, and Darwin’s (unpaid) post
was designated as the ship’s naturalist. Darwin’s father objected to the
trip, which he considered a waste of time, but his brother-in-law,
Josiah Wedgwood, convinced him to give his blessing (and the funding)
for it. After delays, the journey began in December 1831. It lasted
almost five years, and aboard that ship the seeds for On the Origin of
Species were sowed.
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