Princeton University Press
The Origin Then and Now
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With contributions by:
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Preface by:
About this book
An accessible modern guide to Darwin's masterwork
Charles Darwin's Origin of Species is one of the most widely cited books in modern science. Yet tackling this classic can be daunting for students and general readers alike because of Darwin's Victorian prose and the complexity and scope of his ideas. The "Origin" Then and Now is a unique guide to Darwin's masterwork, making it accessible to a much wider audience by deconstructing and reorganizing the Origin in a way that allows for a clear explanation of its key concepts. The Origin is examined within the historical context in which it was written, and modern examples are used to reveal how this work remains a relevant and living document for today.
In this eye-opening and accessible guide, David Reznick shows how many peculiarities of the Origin can be explained by the state of science in 1859, helping readers to grasp the true scope of Darwin's departure from the mainstream thinking of his day. He reconciles Darwin's concept of species with our current concept, which has advanced in important ways since Darwin first wrote the Origin, and he demonstrates why Darwin's theory unifies the biological sciences under a single conceptual framework much as Newton did for physics. Drawing liberally from the facsimile of the first edition of the Origin, Reznick enables readers to follow along as Darwin develops his ideas.
The "Origin" Then and Now is an indispensable primer for anyone seeking to understand Darwin's Origin of Species and the ways it has shaped the modern study of evolution.
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Frontmatter
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Contents
vii -
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Preface
ix -
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Correspondence between Chapters in the First Edition of the Origin and the Chapters in This Book
xiv -
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Acknowledgments
xv -
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Introduction: Charles Darwin and the Origin of Species
1 - Part One. Natural Selection
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Chapter 1. Preamble to Natural Selection
29 -
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Chapter 2. Variation under Domestication
38 -
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Chapter 3. Variation under Nature I
56 -
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Chapter 4. The Struggle for Existence
66 -
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Chapter 5. Natural Selection I
77 -
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Chapter 6. Laws of Variation
102 -
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Chapter 7. Evolution Today: A Modern Perspective on Natural Selection
119 - Part Two. Speciation
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Chapter 8. Preamble to Speciation
137 -
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Chapter 9. Variation under Nature II
152 -
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Chapter 10. Natural Selection II
164 -
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Chapter 11. Hybridism
190 -
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Chapter 12. Evolution Today: The Mosquitoes of the London Underground
205 - Part Three. Theory
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Chapter 13. Preamble: What Is a Theory?
219 -
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Chapter 14. Difficulties on Theory
227 -
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Chapter 15. Instinct
250 -
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Chapter 16. Geology I: Background
264 -
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Chapter 17. Geology II: On the Imperfection of the Geological Record
275 -
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Chapter 18. Geology III: On the Geological Succession of Organic Beings
288 -
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Chapter 19. Geology IV: Evolution Today
301 -
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Chapter 20. Geographical Distribution
314 -
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Chapter 21. Geographical Distribution, Continued
331 -
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Chapter 22. Mutual Affinities of Organic Beings: Morphology: Embryology: Rudimentary Organs
346 -
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Chapter 23. Recapitulation and Conclusion
381 -
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Chapter 24. Evolution Today: The Witness Has Been Found, Again and Again
401 -
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Illustration Credits
417 -
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Index
419