Science and Nature

On the origin of species

By Charles Darwin

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Length16h 50m

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Of the vast and varied productions of nature, from the hummingbird to the giant redwood, from the beetle's shell to the human hand—what is their origin? In this foundational work that forever altered humanity’s understanding of its place in the natural world, Charles Darwin presents the theory that would become the bedrock of modern biology: evolution by natural selection. Based on decades of meticulous observation, from the famed voyage of the HMS Beagle to his studies of barnacles and pigeons, Darwin marshals an overwhelming array of evidence. He demonstrates how species are not immutable, but are engaged in a constant struggle for existence. In this struggle, individuals with variations better suited to their environment tend to survive and reproduce, passing those advantageous traits to their offspring. Over immense spans of time, this gradual process of "descent with modification" gives rise to the breathtaking diversity of life, all branching from a common ancestor. On the Origin of Species is a masterpiece of lucid argumentation and humble reasoning: it connects the work of the earthworm to the geology of continents, and the instincts of the hive to the extinction of the mammoth. Its revolutionary ideas challenged the scientific and religious orthodoxies of its day, and continue to provoke, inspire, and illuminate. This is the book that answered the question of questions, revealing the grand and simple mechanism that shapes all life on Earth.

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Rating★★★★ 4.2 (154.5K)

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GenreScience and Nature

Length16 hrs 50 mins

Narrated byListen with 1,000+ voices

FormateBook with Audio

LanguageEnglish

1OPENING QUOTES

2INTRODUCTION.

31. VARIATION UNDER DOMESTICATION.

4ON THE BREEDS OF THE DOMESTIC PIGEON.

5SELECTION.

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62. VARIATION UNDER NATURE.

73. STRUGGLE FOR EXISTENCE.

84. NATURAL SELECTION.

9SEXUAL SELECTION.

10ILLUSTRATIONS OF THE ACTION OF NATURAL SELECTION.

11ON THE INTERCROSSING OF INDIVIDUALS.

12CIRCUMSTANCES FAVOURABLE TO NATURAL SELECTION.

13EXTINCTION.

14DIVERGENCE OF CHARACTER./

15SUMMARY OF CHAPTER.

165. LAWS OF VARIATION.

17EFFECTS OF USE AND DISUSE.

18ACCLIMATISATION.

19CORRELATION OF GROWTH.

20A PART DEVELOPED IN ANY SPECIES IN AN EXTRAORDINARY DEGREE OR MANNER, IN COMPARISON WITH THE SAME PART IN ALLIED SPECIES, TENDS TO BE HIGHLY VARIABLE.

21DISTINCT SPECIES PRESENT ANALOGOUS VARIATIONS; AND A VARIETY OF ONE SPECIES OFTEN ASSUMES SOME OF THE CHARACTERS OF AN ALLIED SPECIES, OR REVERTS TO SOME OF THE CHARACTERS OF AN EARLY PROGENITOR.

22SUMMARY.

236. DIFFICULTIES ON THEORY.

24ON THE ORIGIN AND TRANSITIONS OF ORGANIC BEINGS WITH PECULIAR HABITS AND STRUCTURE.

25ORGANS OF EXTREME PERFECTION AND COMPLICATION.

26ORGANS OF LITTLE APPARENT IMPORTANCE.

277. INSTINCT.

28SLAVE-MAKING INSTINCT.

29CELL-MAKING INSTINCT OF THE HIVE-BEE.

30SUMMARY.

318. HYBRIDISM.

32LAWS GOVERNING THE STERILITY OF FIRST CROSSES AND OF HYBRIDS.

33CAUSES OF THE STERILITY OF FIRST CROSSES AND OF HYBRIDS.