Historical biogeography--the study of the history of species through
both time and place--first convinced Charles Darwin of evolution. This
field was so important to Darwin's initial theories and line of thinking
that he said as much in the very first paragraph of On the Origin of
Species (1859) and later in his autobiography. His methods included
collecting mammalian fossils in South America clearly related to living
forms, tracing the geographical distributions of living species across
South America, and sampling peculiar fauna of the geologically young
Galápagos Archipelago that showed evident affinities to South American
forms. Over the years, Darwin collected other evidence in support of
evolution, but his historical biogeographical arguments remained
paramount, so much so that he devotes three full chapters to this topic
in On the Origin of Species.
Discussions of Darwin's landmark book too often give scant attention to
this wealth of evidence, and we still do not fully appreciate its
significance in Darwin's thinking. In Origins of Darwin's Evolution,
J. David Archibald explores this lapse, showing how Darwin first came to
the conclusion that, instead of various centers of creation, species had
evolved in different regions throughout the world. He also shows that
Darwin's other early passion--geology--proved a more elusive
corroboration of evolution. On the Origin of Species has only one
chapter dedicated to the rock and fossil record, as it then appeared too
incomplete for Darwin's evidentiary standards. Carefully retracing
Darwin's gathering of evidence and the evolution of his thinking,
Origins of Darwin's Evolution achieves a new understanding of how
Darwin crafted his transformative theory.
