Böcker i Cambridge Library Collection - Darwin, Evolution and Genetics-serien

Initially published by the Linnean Society, this 1865 essay was Darwin's first foray into the study of climbing plants. He was inspired to produce this work by a paper on the tendrilled Cucurbitacean plant by American botanist Asa Gray, with whom he had a firm intellectual friendship. Darwin examines in detail those plants which climb using a twisting stem, such as the hop; leaf-climbers, such as the clematis; tendrilled plants such as the passion flower; and hook and root climbers such as ivy. The conclusions reached by his study are presented in terms of the adaptations of various species to their environments, a continuation of the theories that Darwin had propounded in his On the Origin of the Species six years earlier. His passion for the design of the plants and fascination with the diversity of their powers of movement are clear in this accessible example of the process of evolution.

Sometimes referred to as 'the grand old man of science', Alfred Russel Wallace (1823-1913) was a naturalist, evolutionary theorist, and friend of Charles Darwin. In this study of tropical flora and fauna, he takes the reader on a tour of the equatorial forest belt - the almost continuous band of forest that stretches around the world between the tropics. There, chameleon-like caterpillars alter the colours of their cocoons, parasitical trees override their hosts with spectacular aerial root systems, and some of the most pressing questions of Victorian evolutionary science arise: how do animals and plants come to be brightly coloured? Can their adaptations provide clues about past geological eras? And was Darwin wholly correct in his theory of sexual selection? First published in 1878, Wallace's book is a skilfully written reflection of contemporary naturalism, still highly readable and relevant to students in the history of science.

Building on the work of Darwin and Mendel, the biologist William Bateson (1861-1926) was the first scientist to combine the study of variation, heredity and evolution, and to use the term 'genetics'. This book was first published in 1894 after many years of experimental and theoretical work - particularly in the embryology of the acorn worm genus Balanoglossus - which had been guided by the principle that embryonic developmental stages replay the evolutionary transitions of adult forms of an organism's ancestors. Bateson was the first to challenge this theory, which made him unpopular among the scientific establishment of the time, but he was proved right. Organising his material by anatomical sections, Bateson explores speciation, phylogeny and discontinuous and continuous variation among a wide range of species, including vertebrates, invertebrates and plants. This pioneering work offers great insight into how the study of genetics and inheritance itself evolved.

A key figure in the field of evolutionary biology, William Bateson (1861-1926) revived Mendelian methods of analysis to develop Darwin's theory of evolution, thereby pioneering the study of genetics. In these lectures, published at Yale in 1913, Bateson systematically chronicles the era's conflicting and developing theories on taxonomy, speciation, variation and hybridisation, and includes his own thoughts on continuous and discontinuous variation and its causes. Drawing on the comparative physiology and anatomy of species that he knew from his wide experience, citing detailed examples from across the taxonomic kingdoms, Bateson brings to life this exciting time in biology. Because the theories central to the modern understanding of genetics, heredity and evolution were formed at this time, this work remains valuable and relevant to students of biology and the history of science.

The Danish plant scientist Wilhelm Johannsen (1857-1927) is remembered for his experimental work on plant heredity, and as a founding figure of modern genetics. The terms 'gene', 'genotype' and 'phenotype' were first used by him. The results of his studies on beans supported theories advanced during the 1890s by the Dutch botanist Hugo de Vries, who had unknowingly replicated the work of Gregor Mendel, published in English translation in 1902 (also reissued in this series) by William Bateson. Johannsen's proposal that changes in heredity resulted from sudden mutations rather than from slow processes of natural selection was seen at the time as a threat to Darwinian theory, though later research showed otherwise. This influential book, first published in 1909 (with later editions in 1913 and 1926), is a revised, expanded German translation of a 1905 Danish book by Johannsen, itself based on a journal article originally published in 1903.

The great French zoologist Lamarck (1744-1829) was best known for his theory of evolution, called 'soft inheritance', whereby organisms pass down acquired characteristics to their offspring. Originally a soldier, Lamarck later studied medicine and biology. His distinguished career included admission to the French Academy of Sciences (1779), and appointments as Royal Botanist (1781) and as professor of zoology at the Musee Nationale d'Histoire Naturelle in 1793. Acknowledged as the premier authority on invertebrate zoology, he is credited with coining the term 'invertebrates'. In this 1809 work, translated into English in 1914, he outlines his theory that under the pressure of different external circumstances, species can develop variations, and that new species and genera can eventually evolve as a result. Darwin paid tribute to Lamarck as the man who 'first did the eminent service of arousing attention to the probability of all change ... being the result of law'.

Charles Darwin (1809-82) was the English naturalist famous for the theory of evolution by natural selection. He began studying medicine at the University of Edinburgh, but developed a fascination for natural history and left Edinburgh to attend Christ's College, Cambridge, where he pursued his new interest while taking a Bachelor of Arts degree. After graduating, he had the opportunity to secure a position as ship's naturalist aboard H.M.S. Beagle for a five-year, round-the-world voyage which would make him famous. Published in 1845, this book is the second edition of Darwin's expedition journal, more popularly known as The Voyage of the Beagle. Throughout the journey he made observations and discoveries that would lead him to develop his revolutionary theory of evolution, which later appeared in On the Origin of Species and created a storm in the scientific and religious communities.

George John Romanes (1848-94) was considered by The Times to be 'the biological investigator upon whom in England the mantle of Mr. Darwin has most conspicuously descended'. Incorporating some of Darwin's unpublished notes, this book explores the question of whether human intelligence evolved. In a stance still often considered controversial at the time of its first printing in 1888, the first half establishes a link between humans and animals, and introduces some of the most important issues of nineteenth-century evolutionary psychology: the impact of relative brain sizes of humans and primates, the origin of self-consciousness and the possible reasons behind the apparent mental stasis of what Romanes terms 'savage man'. Following the argument that one of the main factors to be considered is language, the second half focuses on philology. Romanes' earlier work, Mental Evolution in Animals (1883), is also reissued in this series.

George John Romanes (1848-94), considered by The Times to be 'the biological investigator upon whom in England the mantle of Mr. Darwin has most conspicuously descended', wrote this influential work on the evolution of the mental faculties of animals in 1883. The two scientists were close friends, and Darwin gave Romanes his notes on psychology to use in his studies. Much of the book is devoted to instinct, and contained in the appendix is a posthumous essay by Darwin on the subject, originally intended for a later edition of On the Origin of Species. Romanes' method of using anecdotal evidence over empirical research has been criticised, but this book stands as an influential work in the history of evolutionary biology; it was followed in 1888 by his Mental Evolution in Man (also reissued in this series), which discussed some of the most important issues of nineteenth-century evolutionary psychology.

In the nineteenth century and beyond, scientists at Cambridge produced some of the most significant developments in the study of biological variation and inheritance. The work of William Bateson (several of whose books are also reissued in this series) was especially important in this regard. This book, first published in 1906 by the botanist Robert Heath Lock (1879-1915), lucidly traces these and other milestones in modern biological understanding. A readable account is given of the evolution of the discipline since the publication of Darwin's On the Origins of Species in 1859, taking in the biometrical contributions of Francis Galton and the research into mutation conducted by Hugo de Vries. The pioneering experiments of Gregor Mendel, and the more recent rediscovery of his laws of inheritance, are clearly contextualised so that non-specialist readers can appreciate the scientific progress that had been made in the half-century prior to the book's first publication.

French astronomer Camille Flammarion (1842-1925) won acclaim for bringing science to a general readership. His Astronomie populaire (1880) and its translation into English as Popular Astronomy (1894) are both reissued in this series. The present work, on the origins of the Earth and humankind, sold tens of thousands of copies. Flammarion's original purpose was to update Zimmermann's Le monde avant la creation de l'homme, published a quarter of a century earlier. However, scientific understanding had progressed so much that he decided to rewrite the work completely. First published in 1886, it contains some 400 wood engravings depicting dramatic landscapes, dinosaurs, fossils and much more. Ranging from early chapters on the universe and solar system, through to later discussion of the emergence of humankind after aeons of evolution, this book will prove an absorbing read for those interested in a nineteenth-century perspective on the origins of life.

In this investigation of orchids, first published in 1862, Darwin expands on a point made in On the Origin of Species that he felt required further explanation, namely that he believes it to be 'a universal law of nature that organic beings require an occasional cross with another individual'. Darwin explains the method by which orchids are fertilised by insects, and argues that the intricate structure of their flowers evolved to favour cross pollination because of its advantages to the species. The book is written in Darwin's usual precise and elegant style, accessible despite its intricate detail. It includes a brief explanation of botanical terms and is illustrated with 34 woodcuts.

A study of the muscular movements of the face (both human and animal) triggered by the emotions being felt - a 'physical' response to a 'mental' sensation. Darwin's detailed analysis of what actually happens to the body in a state of fear, or joy, or anger is illustrated by photographic images.

In this two-volume work of 1809, the great French zoologist Lamarck (1744-1829) outlines his theory that under the pressure of different external circumstances, species can develop variations, and that new species and genera can eventually evolve as a result. His theory of 'soft inheritance' greatly influenced Charles Darwin.

George John Romanes (1848-94) was an influential evolutionary biologist and one of the pioneers of comparative psychology. He was a close friend of Charles Darwin (1809-82), and this biography, written in 1896 by Romanes' wife, includes correspondence between the two scientists.

Alfred Russel Wallace (1823-1913) was a British naturalist, explorer, geographer and biologist, best remembered as the co-discoverer, with Darwin, of natural selection. He was also a social activist, spiritualist, and early environmentalist. This 1905 autobiography recounts his long career, travels, and acquaintance with the leading scientists of his day.

Written by his colleague Karl Pearson, this four-part biography of eugenicist Sir Francis Galton presents a detailed account of the life of the controversial scientist. First published in 1914, Volume 1 covers the years from Galton's birth in 1822 to his marriage to Louisa Jane Butler in 1853.

After the publication of On the Origin of Species in 1859 Darwin became fascinated with the potential of botanical experiments to provide evidence for the process of evolution. This 1877 book examines plant species which produce different forms of flower structures and provides the first functional interpretation of this phenomenon.

The Variation of Animals and Plants Under Domestication follows from the first chapters of On the Origin of Species. Volume 1 deals with variations introduced into species as a result of domestication. It is a masterpiece of nineteenth-century scientific investigation and a key text in the development of Darwin's evolutionary theories.

Published in 1903 and edited by his son Leonard Huxley, this three-volume set is the second, extended edition of the biography and selected letters of 'Darwin's Bulldog', T. H. Huxley (1825-95). Volume 1 covers the period 1825-69, including the publication of On the Origin of Species.

Written by evolutionary biologist and Royal Society Fellow George John Romanes (1848-94), this three-volume study of Darwin's work considers the many implications of evolution by natural selection. First published in 1892, Volume 1 focuses on the Darwinian theory itself. This second edition appeared in 1893.

The botanist Asa Gray (1810-88) was important in unifying taxonomic knowledge of North American flora. The first volume of this 1889 two-volume selection edited by Charles Sprague Sargent (1841-1927) includes Gray's reviews of important scientific publications, illuminating the development of botanical literature over a period of fifty-three years.

The second of two volumes of a remarkable collection of private letters, published in 1904, which give fascinating insights into the life of Emma Darwin. Emma was a major influence on Charles Darwin's life and work, bringing up their large family, running their household, and hosting relatives and visiting scientists.

The first of two volumes of a remarkable collection of private letters, published in 1904, which give fascinating insights into the life of Emma Darwin. Emma was a major influence on Charles Darwin's life and work, bringing up their large family, running their household, and hosting relatives and visiting scientists.