Charles Darwin: Origin Of Species -

Those with traits best suited to their environment survive and reproduce, "selecting" those traits for the next generation. Why It Was Controversial

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

Individuals within a population have different traits. Inheritance: These traits can be passed to offspring. Those with traits best suited to their environment

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

At the time, the prevailing belief was "Natural Theology"—the idea that every creature was perfectly designed by a creator and remained unchanged since the beginning of time. Darwin’s theory of —the idea that all life is related through a massive "tree of life"—removed the need for a supernatural designer to explain the complexity of nature. A Lasting Legacy

Resources are limited, so not everyone survives.