Individuals within a population have different traits. Inheritance: These traits can be passed to offspring.
Though Darwin lacked the modern understanding of genetics (DNA wouldn't be understood for another century), his core principles remain the bedrock of modern biology. Today, evolutionary science informs everything from how we fight antibiotic-resistant bacteria to how we understand the human genome. Charles Darwin: Origin of Species
The foundation for the book was laid decades earlier during Darwin’s five-year voyage on the . While surveying the Galápagos Islands, he noticed subtle differences between finches and tortoises on different islands. These observations led him to a radical conclusion: species are not fixed. They change over time to suit their environments. The Mechanism: Natural Selection Individuals within a population have different traits
Resources are limited, so not everyone survives. Today, evolutionary science informs everything from how we
Those with traits best suited to their environment survive and reproduce, "selecting" those traits for the next generation. Why It Was Controversial
Darwin’s genius lay in identifying how this change happened. He called it . The logic was simple but brutal: