CLASSICS

Reproduced below is the introductory chapter of the rst edition of Darwin's O n th e O rigin o f S pecies, that he modestly alludes to as an \Abstract" of his work. The excerpt is expected to give the reader a avour for the beautiful prose that is apparent throughout the book and the care and caution with which Darwin makes his arguments. The whole book, available online as well as in hardcopy, is a must read for all those who are interested in science. S M a h a d eva n

On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life
Charles Darwin, M.A.

Fellow of the Royal, Geological, Linnan, etc. societies; Author of Journal of researches during H. M. S. Beagles Voyage round the world. London: John Murray, Albemarle Street, 1859 In tr o d u c tio n W h en o n b o a rd H .M .S . B ea g le, a s n a tu ra list, I w a s m u ch stru ck w ith certa in fa cts in th e d istrib u tio n o f th e in h a b ita n ts o f S o u th A m erica , a n d in th e g eo lo g ica l rela tio n s o f th e p resen t to th e p a st in h a b ita n ts o f th a t co n tin en t. T h ese fa cts seem ed to m e to th row so m e lig h t o n th e o rig in o f sp ecies { th a t m y stery o f m y steries, a s it h a s b een ca lled b y o n e o f o u r g rea test p h ilo so p h ers. O n m y retu rn h o m e, it o ccu rred to m e, in 1 8 3 7 , th a t so m eth in g m ig h t p erh a p s b e m a d e o u t o n th is q u estio n b y p a tien tly a ccu m u la tin g a n d re ectin g o n a ll so rts o f fa cts w h ich cou ld p o ssib ly h av e a n y b ea rin g o n it. A fter v e y ea rs' w o rk I a llow ed m y self to sp ecu la te o n th e su b ject, a n d d rew u p so m e sh o rt n o tes; th ese I en larg ed in 1 8 4 4 in to a sk etch o f th e co n clu sio n s, w h ich th en seem ed to m e p ro b a b le: fro m th a t p erio d to th e

204

RESONANCE February 2009

CLASSICS
p resen t d ay I h av e stea d ily p u rsu ed th e sa m e o b ject. I h o p e th a t I m ay b e ex cu sed fo r en terin g o n th ese p erso n a l d eta ils, a s I g iv e th em to sh ow th a t I h av e n o t b een h a sty in co m in g to a d ecisio n . M y w o rk is n ow n ea rly n ish ed ; b u t a s it w ill ta k e m e tw o o r th ree m o re y ea rs to co m p lete it, a n d a s m y h ea lth is fa r fro m stro n g , I h av e b een u rg ed to p u b lish th is A b stra ct. I h a v e m o re esp ecia lly b een in d u ced to d o th is, a s M r.W a lla ce, w h o is n ow stu d y in g th e n a tu ra l h isto ry o f th e M a lay A rch ip ela g o , h a s a rriv ed a t a lm o st ex a ctly th e sa m e g en era l co n clu sio n s th a t I h av e o n th e o rig in o f sp ecies. L a st y ea r h e sen t to m e a m em o ir o n th is su b ject, w ith a req u est th a t I w o u ld fo rw a rd it to S ir C h a rles L y ell, w h o sen t it to th e L in n ea n S o ciety, a n d it is p u b lish ed in th e th ird v o lu m e o f th e jo u rn a l o f th a t S o ciety. S ir C . L y ell a n d D r H o o k er, w h o b o th k n ew o f m y w o rk { th e la tter h av in g rea d m y sk etch o f 1 8 4 4 { h o n o u red m e b y th in k in g it a d v isa b le to p u b lish , w ith M r. W a lla ce's ex cellen t m em o ir, so m e b rief ex tra cts fro m m y m a n u scrip ts. T h is A b stra ct, w h ich I n ow p u b lish , m u st n ecessa rily b e im p erfect. I ca n n o t h ere g iv e referen ces a n d a u th o rities fo r m y sev era l sta tem en ts; a n d I m u st tru st to th e rea d er rep o sin g so m e co n d en ce in m y a ccu ra cy. N o d o u b t erro rs w ill h av e crep t in , th o u g h I h o p e I h av e a lw ay s b een ca u tio u s in tru stin g to g o o d a u th o rities a lo n e. I ca n h ere g iv e o n ly th e g en era l co n clu sio n s a t w h ich I h av e a rriv ed , w ith a few fa cts in illu stra tio n , b u t w h ich , I h o p e, in m o st ca ses w ill su ce. N o o n e ca n feel m o re sen sib le th a n I d o o f th e n ecessity o f h erea fter p u b lish in g in d eta il a ll th e fa cts, w ith referen ces, o n w h ich m y co n clu sio n s h av e b een g ro u n d ed ; a n d I h o p e in a fu tu re w o rk to d o th is. F o r I a m w ell aw a re th a t sca rcely a sin g le p o in t is d iscu ssed in th is v o lu m e o n w h ich fa cts ca n n o t b e a d d u ced , o ften a p p a ren tly lea d in g to co n clu sio n s d irectly o p p o site to th o se a t w h ich I h av e a rriv ed . A fa ir resu lt ca n b e o b ta in ed o n ly b y fu lly sta tin g a n d b a la n cin g th e fa cts a n d a rg u m en ts o n b o th sid es o f ea ch q u estio n ; a n d th is ca n n o t p o ssib ly b e h ere d o n e. I m u ch reg ret th a t w a n t o f sp a ce p rev en ts m y h av in g th e sa tisfa ctio n o f a ck n ow led g in g th e g en ero u s a ssista n ce w h ich I h av e receiv ed fro m v ery m a n y n a tu ra lists, so m e o f th em p erso n a lly u n k n ow n to m e. I ca n n o t, h ow ev er, let th is o p p o rtu n ity p a ss w ith o u t ex p ressin g m y d eep o b lig a tio n s to D r H o o k er, w h o fo r th e la st fteen y ea rs h a s a id ed m e in ev ery p o ssib le w ay b y h is la rg e sto res o f k n ow led g e a n d h is ex cellen t ju d g em en t.

RESONANCE February 2009

205

CLASSICS
In co n sid erin g th e O rig in o f S p ecies, it is q u ite con ceiva b le th at a n atu ra list, re ectin g on th e m u tu a l a n ities of orga n ic b ein g s, o n th eir em b ry olo gica l relation s, th eir g eo gra p h ical d istrib u tio n , geolog ical su ccession , a n d o th er su ch fa cts, m ig h t com e to th e con clu sio n th at ea ch sp ecies h a d n ot b een in d ep en d en tly crea ted , b u t h a d d escen d ed , like va rieties, fro m oth er sp ecies. N ev erth eless, su ch a con clu sion , even if w ell fou n d ed , w ou ld b e u n satisfactory, u n til it cou ld b e sh ow n h ow th e in n u m era b le sp ecies in h ab itin g th is w orld h ave b een m o d i ed so a s to a cq u ire th a t p erfectio n of stru ctu re an d co-a d ap ta tion w h ich m o st ju stly ex cites ou r ad m iration . N atu ra lists con tin u a lly refer to ex tern a l co n d ition s, su ch as clim a te, fo o d , & c., as th e on ly p o ssib le ca u se of varia tio n . In on e very lim ited sen se, as w e sh all h erea fter see, th is m ay b e tru e; b u t it is p rep o sterou s to a ttrib u te to m ere ex tern a l con d itio n s, th e stru ctu re, for in stan ce, of th e w o o d p eck er, w ith its feet, ta il, b eak , an d to n gu e, so ad m irab ly a d ap ted to catch in sects u n d er th e b a rk of trees. In th e case of th e m isselto e, w h ich d raw s its n o u rish m en t fro m certa in trees, w h ich h as seed s th a t m u st b e tran sp orted b y certain b ird s, an d w h ich h as ow ers w ith sep ara te sex es ab solu tely req u irin g th e a gen cy of certa in in sects to b rin g p ollen from o n e ow er to th e o th er, it is eq u a lly p rep ostero u s to a ccou n t for th e stru ctu re of th is p ara site, w ith its relation s to several d istin ct org an ic b ein gs, b y th e e ects of ex tern a l con d itio n s, or of h ab it, o r of th e volition of th e p lan t itself. T h e a u th or of th e `V estig es o f C reation ' w ou ld , I p resu m e, say th at, a fter a certain u n k n ow n n u m b er of gen eration s, som e b ird h a d given b irth to a w o o d p eck er, an d so m e p lan t to th e m isselto e, a n d th at th ese h ad b een p ro d u ced p erfect as w e n ow see th em ; b u t th is a ssu m p tion seem s to m e to b e n o ex p lan a tio n , fo r it leaves th e case of th e co-ad a p tatio n s of org an ic b ein gs to each oth er an d to th eir p h y sical con d ition s of life, u n tou ch ed an d u n ex p la in ed . It is, th erefore, o f th e h igh est im p ortan ce to ga in a clea r in sigh t in to th e m ea n s o f m o d i cation an d co-a d ap ta tio n . A t th e co m m en cem en t of m y ob serva tio n s it seem ed to m e p ro b ab le th at a carefu l stu d y of d om estica ted an im als an d of cu ltivated p la n ts w o u ld o er th e b est ch an ce o f m a k in g ou t th is o b scu re p rob lem . N or h av e I b een d isa p p oin ted ; in th is a n d in all oth er p erp lex in g ca ses I h ave in variab ly fou n d th a t o u r k n ow led ge, im p erfect th ou g h it b e, o f variatio n u n d er d om estication , a o rd ed th e b est a n d sa fest

206

RESONANCE February 2009

CLASSICS
clu e. I m ay v en tu re to ex p ress m y co n v ictio n o f th e h ig h va lu e o f su ch stu d ies, a lth o u g h th ey h av e b een v ery co m m o n ly n eg lected b y n a tu ra lists. F ro m th ese co n sid era tio n s, I sh a ll d ev o te th e rst ch a p ter o f th is A b stra ct to V a ria tio n u n d er D o m estica tio n . W e sh a ll th u s see th a t a la rg e a m o u n t o f h ered ita ry m o d i ca tio n is a t lea st p o ssib le, a n d , w h a t is eq u a lly o r m o re im p o rta n t, w e sh a ll see h ow g rea t is th e p ow er o f m a n in a ccu m u la tin g b y h is S electio n su ccessiv e slig h t va ria tio n s. I w ill th en p a ss o n to th e va ria b ility o f sp ecies in a sta te o f n a tu re; b u t I sh a ll, u n fo rtu n a tely, b e co m p elled to trea t th is su b ject fa r to o b rie y, a s it ca n b e trea ted p ro p erly o n ly b y g iv in g lo n g ca ta lo g u es o f fa cts. W e sh a ll, h ow ev er, b e en a b led to d iscu ss w h a t circu m sta n ces a re m o st fav o u ra b le to va ria tio n . In th e n ex t ch a p ter th e S tru g g le fo r E x isten ce a m o n g st a ll o rg a n ic b ein g s th ro u g h o u t th e w o rld , w h ich in ev ita b ly fo llow s fro m th eir h ig h g eo m etrica l p ow ers o f in crea se, w ill b e trea ted o f. T h is is th e d o ctrin e o f M a lth u s, a p p lied to th e w h o le a n im a l a n d v eg eta b le k in g d o m s. A s m a n y m o re in d iv id u a ls o f ea ch sp ecies a re b o rn th a n ca n p o ssib ly su rv iv e; a n d a s, co n seq u en tly, th ere is a freq u en tly recu rrin g stru g g le fo r ex isten ce, it fo llow s th a t a n y b ein g , if it va ry h ow ev er slig h tly in a n y m a n n er p ro ta b le to itself, u n d er th e co m p lex a n d so m etim es va ry in g co n d itio n s o f life, w ill h av e a b etter ch a n ce o f su rv iv in g , a n d th u s b e n a tu ra lly selected . F ro m th e stro n g p rin cip le o f in h erita n ce, a n y selected va riety w ill ten d to p ro p a g a te its n ew a n d m o d i ed fo rm . T h is fu n d a m en ta l su b ject o f N a tu ra l S electio n w ill b e trea ted a t so m e len g th in th e fo u rth ch a p ter; a n d w e sh a ll th en see h ow N a tu ra l S electio n a lm o st in ev ita b ly ca u ses m u ch E x tin ctio n o f th e less im p rov ed fo rm s o f life a n d in d u ces w h a t I h av e ca lled D iv erg en ce o f C h a ra cter. In th e n ex t ch a p ter I sh a ll d iscu ss th e co m p lex a n d little k n ow n law s o f va ria tio n a n d o f co rrela tio n o f g row th . In th e fo u r su cceed in g ch a p ters, th e m o st a p p a ren t a n d g rav est d i cu lties o n th e th eo ry w ill b e g iv en : n a m ely, rst, th e d i cu lties o f tra n sitio n s, o r u n d ersta n d in g h o w a sim p le b ein g o r a sim p le o rg a n ca n b e ch a n g ed a n d p erfected in to a h ig h ly d ev elo p ed b ein g o r ela b o ra tely co n stru cted o rg a n ; seco n d ly th e su b ject o f In stin ct, o r th e m en ta l p ow ers o f a n im a ls, th ird ly, H y b rid ism , o r th e in fertility o f sp ecies a n d th e fertility o f va rieties w h en in tercro ssed ; a n d fo u rth ly, th e im p erfectio n o f th e G eo lo g ica l R eco rd . In th e n ex t ch a p ter I sh a ll co n sid er th e g eo lo g ica l su ccessio n o f o rg a n ic b ein g s th ro u g h o u t tim e; in th e elev en th a n d tw elfth , th eir

RESONANCE February 2009

207

CLASSICS
geog ra p h ica l d istrib u tio n th ro u g h o u t sp a ce; in th e th irteen th , th eir cla ssi ca tio n o rm u tu a l a n ities, b o th w h en m a tu re a n d in a n em b ry o n ic co n d itio n . In th e la st ch a p ter I sh a ll g iv e a b rief reca p itu la tio n o f th e w h o le w o rk , a n d a few co n clu d in g rem a rk s.) N o o n e o u g h t to feel su rp rise a t m u ch rem a in in g a s y et u n ex p la in ed in rega rd to th e o rig in o f sp ecies a n d va rieties, if h e m a k es d u e a llow a n ce fo r o u r p ro fo u n d ig n o ra n ce in reg a rd to th e m u tu a l rela tio n s o f a ll th e b ein g s w h ich liv e a ro u n d u s. W h o ca n ex p la in w h y o n e sp ecies ra n g es w id ely an d is v ery n u m ero u s, a n d w h y a n o th er a llied sp ecies h a s a n a rrow ra n g e a n d is ra re? Y et th ese rela tio n s a re o f th e h ig h est im p o rta n ce, fo r th ey d eterm in e th e p resen t w elfa re, a n d , a s I b eliev e, th e fu tu re su ccess a n d m o d i ca tio n o f ev ery in h a b ita n t o f th is w o rld . S till less d o w e k n ow o f th e m u tu a l rela tio n s o f th e in n u m era b le in h a b ita n ts o f th e w o rld d u rin g th e m a n y p a st g eo lo g ica l ep o ch s in its h isto ry. A lth o u g h m u ch rem a in s o b scu re, an d w ill lo n g rem a in o b scu re, I ca n en terta in n o d o u b t, a fter th e m o st d elib era te stu d y a n d d isp a ssio n a te ju d g m en t o f w h ich I a m ca p a b le, th a t th e v iew w h ich m o st n a tu ra lists en terta in , a n d w h ich I fo rm erly en terta in ed { n a m ely, th a t ea ch sp ecies h a s b een in d ep en d en tly crea ted { is erro n eo u s. I am fu lly co n v in ced th a t sp ecies a re n o t im m u ta b le; b u t th a t th o se b elo n g in g to w h a t a re ca lled th e sa m e g en era a re lin ea l d escen d a n ts o f so m e o th er a n d gen era lly ex tin ct sp ecies, in th e sa m e m a n n er a s th e a ck n ow led g ed va rieties o f a n y o n e sp ecies a re th e d escen d a n ts o f th a t sp ecies. F u rth erm o re, I a m con v in ced th a t N a tu ra l S electio n h a s b een th e m a in b u t n o t ex clu siv e m ea n s of m o d i ca tio n .

208

RESONANCE February 2009