Charles Darwin
On the Origin of Species (1859) by Charles Darwin presents the theory of evolution by natural selection. Darwin argues that species are not fixed but change over long periods through small, heritable variations. Individuals with traits better suited to their environment are more likely to survive and reproduce, causing those traits to become more common over generations. Drawing on evidence from geology, animal breeding, biogeography, and comparative anatomy, Darwin explains how new species arise and how all life shares common ancestry, fundamentally transforming our understanding of the natural world.
