The Foundations of the “Origin of Species”

About this eBook

Author

Darwin, Charles, 1809-1882

Title

The Foundations of the Origin of Species Two Essays written in 1842 and 1844

Credits

Produced by Geetu Melwani, David Clarke, LN Yaddanapudi and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive/Canadian Libraries)

Language

English

LoC Class

QH: Science: Natural history

Subject

Natural selection

Category

Text

eBook-No.

22728

Project Gutenberg

https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/22728

Release Date

September 22, 2007

Copyright

Public domain in the USA.

Contents

1. 1.THE FOUNDATIONS OF THE ORIGIN OF SPECIES — THE FOUNDATIONS OF THE ORIGIN OF SPECIES TWO ESSAYS WRITTEN IN 1842 AND 1844 by CHARLES DARWIN
2. 2.CONTENTS
3. 3.INTRODUCTION
4. 4.PART I. — § I. « On Variation under Domestication, and on the Principles of Selection. » — § II. « On Variation in a State of Nature and on the Natural Means of Selection. » — § III. « On Variation in instincts and other mental attributes. »
5. 5.PART II {104} . — §§ IV. & V. « On the evidence from Geology. » — « Geographical Distribution. » — § VI. Let us consider the absolute state of distribution of organisms of earth's face. — § VII. « Affinities and Classification. » — § VIII. Unity [ or similarity ] of type in the great classes. — § IX. « Abortive organs. » — § X. Recapitulation and conclusion. — Conclusion. — THE ESSAY OF 1844
6. 6.CHAPTER I ON THE VARIATION OF ORGANIC BEINGS UNDER DOMESTICATION; AND ON THE PRINCIPLES OF SELECTION — On the hereditary tendency. — Causes of Variation. — On Selection. — Crossing Breeds. — Whether our domestic races have descended from one or more wild stocks. — Limits to Variation in degree and kind. — In what consists Domestication. — Summary of first Chapter.
7. 7.CHAPTER II ON THE VARIATION OF ORGANIC BEINGS IN A WILD STATE; ON THE NATURAL MEANS OF SELECTION; AND ON THE COMPARISON OF DOMESTIC RACES AND TRUE SPECIES — Natural means of Selection {227} . — Differences between “Races” and “Species”:—first, in their trueness or variability. — Difference between “Races” and “Species” in fertility when crossed. — Causes of Sterility in Hybrids. — Infertility from causes distinct from hybridisation. — Points of Resemblance between “Races” and “Species {259} . ” — External characters of Hybrids and Mongrels. — Summary of second chapter {265} . — Limits of Variation.
8. 8.CHAPTER III ON THE VARIATION OF INSTINCTS AND OTHER MENTAL ATTRIBUTES UNDER DOMESTICATION AND IN STATE OF NATURE; ON THE DIFFICULTIES IN THIS SUBJECT; AND ON ANALOGOUS DIFFICULTIES WITH RESPECT TO CORPOREAL STRUCTURES — Variation of mental attributes under domestication. — Hereditary habits compared with instincts. — Variation in the mental attributes of wild animals. — Principles of Selection applicable to instincts. — Difficulties in the acquirement of complex instincts by Selection. — Difficulties in the acquirement by Selection of complex corporeal structures.
9. 9.CHAPTER IV ON THE NUMBER OF INTERMEDIATE FORMS REQUIRED ON THE THEORY OF COMMON DESCENT; AND ON THEIR ABSENCE IN A FOSSIL STATE
10. 10.CHAPTER V GRADUAL APPEARANCE AND DISAPPEARANCE OF SPECIES {326} — Extinction of species.
11. 11.CHAPTER VI ON THE GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION OF ORGANIC BEINGS IN PAST AND PRESENT TIMES — Section First. — Distribution of the inhabitants in the different continents. — Relation of range in genera and species. — Distribution of the inhabitants in the same continent. — Insular Faunas. — Alpine Floras. — Cause of the similarity in the floras of some distant mountains. — Whether the same species has been created more than once. — On the number of species, and of the classes to which they belong in different regions. — Section Second. — Geographical distribution of extinct organisms. — Changes in geographical distribution. — Summary on the distribution of living and extinct organic beings. — Section Third. — An attempt to explain the foregoing laws of geographical distribution, on the theory of allied species having a common descent. — Improbability of finding fossil forms intermediate between existing species.
12. 12.CHAPTER VII ON THE NATURE OF THE AFFINITIES AND CLASSIFICATION OF ORGANIC BEINGS {425} — Gradual appearance and disappearance of groups. — What is the Natural System? — On the kind of relation between distinct groups. — Classification of Races or Varieties. — Classification of "races" and species similar. — Origin of genera and families.
13. 13.CHAPTER VIII UNITY OF TYPE IN THE GREAT CLASSES; AND MORPHOLOGICAL STRUCTURES — Unity of Type {454} . — Morphology. — Embryology . — Attempt to explain the facts of embryology. — On the graduated complexity in each great class. — Modification by selection of the forms of immature animals. — Importance of embryology in classification. — Order in time in which the great classes have first appeared.
14. 14.CHAPTER IX ABORTIVE OR RUDIMENTARY ORGANS — The abortive organs of naturalists. — The abortive organs of physiologists. — Abortion from gradual disuse.
15. 15.CHAPTER X RECAPITULATION AND CONCLUSION — Recapitulation. — Why do we wish to reject the theory of common descent? — Conclusion.
16. 16.INDEX
17. 17.Footnotes — Transcriber’s Notes & Errata

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