On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, Or The Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life"...All the foregoing rules and aids and difficulties in classification are explained, if I do not greatly deceive myself, on the view that the natural system is founded on descent with modification; that the characters which naturalists consider as showing true affinity between any two or more species, are those which have been inherited from a common parent, and, in so far, all true classification is genealogical; that community of descent is the hidden bond which naturalists have been unconsciously seeking, and not some unknown plan of creation, or the enunciation of general propositions, and the mere putting together and separating objects more or less alike. But I must explain my meaning more fully..." This re-print of Charles Darwin's 1859 publication of "On The Origin of Species" has been carefully formatted to improve readability and to ensure that the page numbers match, as closely as possible, the original table of contents and index for quick referencing and scholarly quotation of the author's 'First Edition'. |
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adapted affinities allied species America analogous variations ancient animals appear become bees believe birds breeds cause cells characters cirripedes climate closely allied colour common parent continuous crossed crustaceans degree difficulty distant distinct species divergence domestic doubt embryo existing exterminated extinct extremely facts favourable fertility flowers formations forms fossil Gärtner genera genus geological geological period Glacial period greater number groups of species habits Hence hermaphrodites horse hybrids hybrids produced important individuals inhabitants inherited insects instance instincts intercrossing intermediate larvæ legs less living males mammals manner Marsupials migration modification modified descendants natural selection naturalists nearly nest occasionally offspring organisation perfect pigeons pistil plants pollen probably produced progenitor quagga racters ranked reciprocal crosses remarked resemble rock-pigeon rudimentary organs secondary sexual seeds sexual selection Silurian slight sometimes South America sterility striped structure struggle successive supposed tendency theory tion variability varieties vary whole widely