On the Origin of Species, published on 24 November 1859, is a work of scientific literature by Charles Darwin which is considered to be the foundation of evolutionary biology. Darwin's book introduced the scientific theory that populations evolve over the course of generations through a process of natural selection. It presented a body of evidence that the diversity of life arose by common descent through a branching pattern of evolution. Darwin included evidence that he had gathered on the Beagle expedition in the 1830s and his subsequent findings from research, correspondence, and experimentation.

Various evolutionary ideas had already been proposed to explain new findings in biology. There was growing support for such ideas among dissident anatomists and the general public, but during the first half of the 19th century the English scientific establishment was closely tied to the Church of England, while science was part of natural theology. Ideas about the transmutation of species were controversial as they conflicted with the beliefs that species were unchanging parts of a designed hierarchy and that humans were unique, unrelated to other animals. The political and theological implications were intensely debated, but transmutation was not accepted by the scientific mainstream.

Answer this series of questions:

1. Was there thinking about evolution before Darwin?
2. Why were these ideas controversial?
3. Who was supportive of these ideas?
4. anyone else?
5. Who did not support it?
6. How did the scientific mainstream think about the idea?
7. What was the name of Darwin's book?
8. When was it in print?
9. what month
10. Is it considered literature?
11. What kind?
12. What do people this this is the foundation for?
13. What did the book talk about?
14. About what?
15. Does all life come from one place?
16. What kind of pattern does evolution have?
17. Do populations change overnight?
18. how long does it take?
19. Where did he get his evidence?
20. When?

Numbered answers:
1. yes
2. people thought humans were unique
3. dissident anatomists
4. the general public
5. the Church of England
6. they did not accept it
7. On the Origin of Species
8. 1859
9. November
10. yes
11. scientific literature
12. evolutionary biology
13. a scientific theory
14. evolution
15. yes
16. a branching one
17. no
18. generations
19. his beagle expedition
20. the 1830s