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Science 9 January 2009:
Vol. 323. no. 5911, pp. 223 - 226
DOI: 10.1126/science.1160332
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Review

Darwin's Originality

Peter J. Bowler

Charles Darwin's theory of natural selection has been hailed as one of the most innovative contributions to modern science. When first proposed in 1859, however, it was widely rejected by his contemporaries, even by those who accepted the general idea of evolution. This article identifies those aspects of Darwin's work that led him to develop this revolutionary theory, including his studies of biogeography and animal breeding, and his recognition of the role played by the struggle for existence.

School of Philosophy and Anthropological Studies, The Queen's University of Belfast, University Road Belfast, Belfast, Northern Ireland, BT7 1NN, UK. E-mail: p.bowler{at}qub.ac.uk

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THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES:
Alexander von Humboldt and the General Physics of the Earth.
S. T. Jackson (2009)
Science 324, 596-597
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Erasmus Darwin's Influence on His Grandson Charles
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