| In 1859, Charles Darwin, an English naturalist, | | | | some speculations in private letters and perhaps |
| published one of the most important books in the | | | | other writings) - his work is really concerned with |
| history of science. This book is today popularly | | | | how life changes over time, and new species |
| referred to as "On the Origin of Species", although | | | | emerge ("evolution"). |
| the full title was in fact "On the Origin of Species | | | | * Other people think Darwin was the first person |
| by Means of Natural Selection, or The | | | | to propose the idea of evolution. This is not |
| Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle | | | | correct either. The idea of evolution - namely |
| for Life". | | | | successive generations of organisms change over |
| The contents book explained, at some | | | | time - can be traced back to the ancient Greeks. |
| considerable length, ideas that Charles Darwin had | | | | In more modern times, natural philosophers of the |
| been developing for about a quarter of a century, | | | | 18th and early 19th centuries (including Charles |
| since his five year voyage (1831 to 1836) around | | | | Darwin's own grandfather, Erasmus Darwin), were |
| the world on the Royal Navy ship, HMS Beagle. | | | | widely discussing evolutionary theories. What |
| The core of these ideas was the idea of evolution | | | | Darwin's contribution was however, was to |
| by natural selection. | | | | propose a mechanism, namely natural selection, |
| Many people today misunderstand what Darwin's | | | | by which organisms can evolve adaptations to |
| contribution to science was: | | | | their environment, and by which new species can |
| * Some people think Darwin's theory concerns | | | | emerge (and today, natural selection is recognized |
| the origin of life ("abiogenesis"). Darwin did not | | | | by scientists as the driving force behind adaptive |
| really deal with this matter (although he did make | | | | evolutionary change). |