In the 19th century, particularly after the publication of On the Origin of Species in 1859, the idea that life had evolved was an active source of academic debate centred on the philosophical, social and religious implications of evolution.
No século XIX, particularmente despois da publicación de A orixe das especies en 1859, a idea de que a vida evolucionara era unha fonte activa de debate académico centrado nas implicacións evolutivas relixiosas, sociais e filosóficas.