The Origin of Species

First published on 24 November 1859, The Origin of Species (full title On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life) by British naturalist Charles Darwin is one of the pivotal works in scientific history, and arguably the pre-eminent work in biology. In it, Darwin makes "one long argument" for his theory that "groups" of organisms, (which we now call populations) rather than individual organisms, gradually evolve through the process of natural selection—a mechanism effectively introduced to the public at large by the book. The work presents detailed scientific evidence he had accumulated both on the Voyage of the Beagle in the 1830s and since his return, painstakingly laying out his theory and refuting the doctrine of "Created kinds" underlying the theories of Creation biology which were then widely accepted.

Publication

In the spring of 1856 Lyell drew Darwin's attention to a paper on the "introduction" of species written by Alfred Russel Wallace, a naturalist working in Borneo, and urged Darwin to publish to establish priority. Darwin was now torn between the desire to set out a full and convincing account, and the pressure to quickly produce a short paper. He ruled out exposing himself to an editor or counsel which would have been required to publish in an academic journal. On 14 May 1856 he began a "sketch" account, then by July had decided to produce a full technical treatise on species.

Related Topics:
1856 - Alfred Russel Wallace - Borneo - 14 May

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Darwin pressed on, overworking, and was throwing himself into his work with his book on Natural Selection well under way, when on 18 June 1858 he received a parcel from Wallace enclosing about twenty pages describing an evolutionary mechanism, an unexpected response to Darwin's recent encouragement, with a request to send it on to Lyell. Darwin wrote to Lyell that "your words have come true with a vengeance,... forestalled" and he would, "of course, at once write and offer to send to any journal" that Wallace chose, adding that "all my originality, whatever it may amount to, will be smashed". Lyell and Hooker agreed that a joint paper should be presented at the Linnean Society, and on 1 July 1858 the Wallace and Darwin papers entitled respectively On the Tendency of Species to form Varieties; and on the Perpetuation of Varieties and Species by Natural Means of Selection were read out, to surprisingly little reaction.

Related Topics:
18 June - 1858 - Wallace - Linnean Society - 1 July - On the Tendency of Species to form Varieties; and on the Perpetuation of Varieties and Species by Natural Means of Selection

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Darwin now worked hard on an "abstract" trimmed from his Natural Selection, writing much of it from memory. Lyell made arrangements with the publisher John Murray, who agreed to publish the manuscript sight unseen, and to pay Darwin two-thirds of the net proceeds. Darwin had decided to call his book An Abstract of an Essay on the Origin of Species and Varieties through Natural Selection, but with Murray's persuasion it was eventually reduced to the snappier On the Origin of Species through Natural Selection

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Publication of The Origin

The Origin was first published on 24 November 1859, price fifteen shillings, and was oversubscribed, so that all 1250 copies were claimed by booksellers that day. The second edition came out in January 1860, and during Darwin's lifetime the book went through six editions, with cumulative changes and revisions to deal with counter-arguments raised.

Related Topics:
24 November - 1859 - 1860

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In January 1871 Mivart published On the Genesis of Species, the cleverest and most devastating critique of natural selection in Darwin's lifetime. Darwin took it personally and from April to the end of the year made extensive revisions to the Origin, using the word "evolution" for the first time and adding a new chapter to refute Mivart. Other changes included adding Herbert Spencer's phrase "survival of the fittest", and adding "by the Creator" into the closing sentence, making it read "There is grandeur in this view of life, with its several powers, having been originally breathed by the

Related Topics:
1871 - Mivart - Herbert Spencer - Survival of the fittest

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Creator into a few forms or into one; and that, whilst this planet has gone

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circling on according to the fixed law of gravity, from so simple a

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beginning endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful have been, and

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are being evolved."

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He told Murray of working men in Lancashire clubbing together to buy the 5th edition at fifteen shillings, and he wanted a new cheap edition to make it more widely available. The 6th edition of Origin of Species was published by Murray on 19 February 1872 at a price kept down to 7s. 6d. by using minute print, and sales increased from 60 to 250 a month.

Related Topics:
Lancashire - Murray - 19 February - 1872

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