Who wrote 'On the Origin of Species', which presented the theory of evolution by natural selection?

"On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection" was written by the English naturalist Charles Darwin and published on 24 November 1859. It is one of the most important scientific books ever written.

About the book:

Darwin argued that living species are not fixed; they change gradually over many generations through a process he called "natural selection".

Individuals of a species vary. Those with traits better suited to their environment are more likely to survive and reproduce, passing those traits on. Over long periods, this leads to new species.

The idea is often summed up as "survival of the fittest", a phrase coined by Herbert Spencer and later used by Darwin.

How Darwin developed his theory:

• He sailed around the world on the survey ship HMS Beagle from 1831 to 1836.
• In the Galápagos Islands, he observed that finches and tortoises differed from island to island, which helped him think about how species change.
• He also drew on Thomas Malthus's "Essay on the Principle of Population" (1798) about the struggle for existence.

In 1858, the naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace independently arrived at a similar theory. Their ideas were presented together at the Linnean Society of London in July 1858, and Darwin published his book the following year.

Darwin's other works:

• "The Voyage of the Beagle" (1839).
• "The Descent of Man" (1871), which applied evolution to humans.
• "The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals" (1872).

About Charles Darwin (1809-1882):

• He was born in Shrewsbury, England, on 12 February 1809 (the same day as Abraham Lincoln). 12 February is celebrated as "Darwin Day".
• He is buried in Westminster Abbey, London.

Other scientists linked with evolution and heredity:

• Jean-Baptiste Lamarck: theory of the inheritance of acquired characteristics ("Philosophie Zoologique", 1809).
• Gregor Mendel: "Father of Genetics"; laws of inheritance from pea plant experiments (1866).
• Hugo de Vries: mutation theory.

Why not the other options?

• ✗Alfred Russel Wallace independently proposed natural selection but did not write "On the Origin of Species".
• ✗Gregor Mendel discovered the laws of heredity.
• ✗Jean-Baptiste Lamarck proposed the inheritance of acquired characteristics.