达尔文的这本《物种起源》利用古生物学、地质学、生理地理学、比较解剖学、胚胎学、形态学和分类学等方面的知识，以及他在环球旅行和研究家养动植物时获得的大量第一手材料，论证了现存各种各样的生物是由一个或几个原始类型逐渐进化而来的，揭示出各种生物之间的亲缘关系，证明了自然选择是生物进化的真正动因。自然选择的内容主要是变异和遗传、生存竞争和选择等。变异是选择的原材料，在生存竞争中，不具有有利变异的个体趋于绝灭，具有有利变异的个体则被选择而保存下来。有利变异在种内经过一代代选择的长期积累，形成新的物种，生物就是这样通过。

PREFACE

INTRODUCTION

CHAPTER I VARIATION UNDER　DOMESTICATION

 Causes of variability

 Effects of habit and of the use or disuse of parks;Correlated variation;Inheritance

 Character of domestic varieties, Difficulty of distinguishing

between varieties and species; Origin of domestic varieties

from one or more species

 Breeds of the domestic pigeon, Their differences and origin

 Principles of selection anciently followed, and their effects Unconscious selection

 Circumstances favourable to man's power of selection

CHAPTER II VARIATION UNDER NATURE

 Causes of variability

 Effects of habit and of the use or disuse of parks;Correlated variation;Inheritance

 Character of domestic varieties, Difficulty of distinguishing

between varieties and species; Origin of domestic varieties

from one or more species

 Breeds of the domestic pigeon, Their differences and origin

 Principles of selection anciently followed, and their effects Unconscious selection

 Circumstances favourable to man's power of selection

 Individual differences

 Doubtful species

 Wide-ranging, much diffused, and common species vary most

 Species of the larger genera in each country vary more

frequently than the species of the smaller genera

 Many of the species included within the larger genera

resemble varieties in being very closely, but unequally,

related to each other, and in having restricted ranges Summary

CHAPTER III STRUGGLE FOR EXISTENCE

CHAPTER IV NATURAL SELECTION;OR THE SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST

CHAPTER V LAWS OF VARIATION

CHAPTER VI DIFFICULTIES OF THE THEORY

CHAFrER VIII INSTINCT

CHAPTER IX HYBRIDISM

CHAPTER X ON THE IMPERFECTION OF THE GEOLOGICAL RECORD

CHAPTER XI ON THE GEOLOGICAL

SUCCESSION OF ORGANIC BEINGS

CHAPTER XlI GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION

CHAPTER XIII GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION--CONTINUED

CHAPTER XIV MUTUAL AFFINITIES OF

ORGANIC BEINGS MORPHOLOGY

EMBRYOLOGY--RUDIMENTARY ORGANS

CHAPTER XV RECAPITULATION AND CONCLUSION

APPENDIX: GLOSSARY OF THE

PRINCIPAL SCIENTIFIC TERMS USED

IN THE PRESENT VOLUME