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On the Origin of Species

Charles Darwin · 1859

Darwin's 1859 book setting out evolution by natural selection, drawing on evidence from breeding, geography, fossils and embryology.

Darwin's own book presenting the theory of natural selection that defines his place in history.

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Title page of the 1859 John Murray first edition of 'On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection' by Charles Darwin. Cream paper with black serif type, London: John Murray, Albemarle Street, 1859.
Charles Darwin, On the Origin of Species, title page, London: John Murray, 1859.

About this source

What it is

This is the first edition of Charles Darwin's book, published in London by John Murray in 1859. It laid out his theory of evolution through natural selection, supported by evidence he gathered on domestic breeding, the spread of species across the world, fossils and embryos.

Why it matters

The book is seen as the foundation of evolutionary biology. At the time, most scientists and the public believed species never changed and that humans were separate from animals. Darwin's careful argument, written for ordinary readers, forced a long and difficult debate about science, religion and humanity's place in nature that reshaped biology over the following decades.

Look closer

  • Why might Darwin have included quotations about God's 'general laws' at the start of the book?
  • What kind of evidence did Darwin use, and why might that have made his argument harder to dismiss?
  • What does the title tell you about ideas of 'favoured races' in Darwin's time?

This book is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Charles Darwin on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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Handwritten pen sketch by Charles Darwin labeled 'I think' with a branching tree diagram marked with letters A, B, C, D and circled 1, beside a page of cursive handwriting in a curved column, dated 1837 in the top corner.Diary entry

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Notebook B 'I think' Tree of Life Sketch

Charles Darwin · c. July 1837

Printed page 45 of the 1858 Linnean Society paper 'On the Tendency of Species to form Varieties' by Darwin and Wallace, with a covering letter from Lyell and Hooker dated London, June 30th, 1858. Text is in serif type.Document

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On the Tendency of Species to Form Varieties

Charles Darwin / Alfred Russel Wallace · 1858

Sepia-toned portrait of an elderly bearded man with a bald crown, seen in left profile against a dark background. He wears a dark jacket, white collar, and dark tie, and his gaze is directed to the left.Photograph

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Charles Darwin by Julia Margaret Cameron

Julia Margaret Cameron · c. 1868

Title page of Charles Darwin's book 'The Descent of Man, and Selection in Relation to Sex', 1871. Text reads: by Charles Darwin, M.A., F.R.S., &c.; in two volumes, Vol. I; with illustrations; London: John Murray, Albemarle Street, 1871.Book

Primary source

The Descent of Man, and Selection in Relation to Sex

Charles Darwin · 1871

Title page of 'The Life and Letters of Charles Darwin, including an Autobiographical Chapter', edited by his son Francis Darwin, In Three Volumes, Vol. I, London, John Murray, Albemarle Street, 1887. All rights reserved.Book

Primary source

The Autobiography of Charles Darwin

Charles Darwin · written 1876, first published 1887

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