L’origine des espèces

In this work, Darwin reflects on the origin and evolution of species, specifically of animals, as well as on the factors which influence them. He examines the question of symbiosis between different organised beings, their embryological relationships and arrives at the conclusion that species were not created independently from each other but that they are derived from other species. Furthermore he explains how the evolution of species functions in terms of the selection and variation designed to acquire “the perfection of form and co-adaptation which excite and are justifiably worthy of our admiration”. Darwin thereby defends the theory of natural selection