Powerful ideas from top nonfiction
Try Blinkist to get the key ideas from 7,000+ bestselling nonfiction titles and podcasts. Listen or read in just 15 minutes.
Start your free trial
Blink 3 of 8 - The 5 AM Club
by Robin Sharma
Listen to the Intro
On the Origin of Species summary
Charles Darwin
By Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life
23 mins
Brief summary
On the Origin of Species is a seminal work by Charles Darwin, proposing the theory of evolution through natural selection. It outlines the processes by which species change over time, based on variations in their physical and behavioral characteristics.
Table of Contents
On the Origin of Species
Summary of 10 key ideas
Audio & text in the Blinkist app
Key idea 1 of 10
Domestic breeds are created through human selection.
Different domestic animal species divide into breeds that are simply variations on a single species. But did you know that they all descend from a single common ancestor?
Just take the various breeds of domestic pigeon, like the English Carrier pigeon, which is identifiable by its abnormally long neck, or the Brunner Pouter, with its massively protruding breast. Both of these breeds – and all other breeds of pigeon – descend from the wild rock pigeon.
Humankind has played a key role in this process of differentiation as we’ve been breeding domestic animals since the late Pleistocene. Over the millennia, we’ve gotten pretty darn good at it too. For instance, the pigeon breeder Sir John Sebright, who died in 1846, boasted that he could create a pigeon with any coloration or patterning in just three years. This process is accomplished through what’s called selection.
Here’s how it works:
Breeds are distinguishable by features known as variations. For example, pugs are dogs characterized by a short, wrinkly muzzle.
To create such a breed, a breeder would begin with a group of mongrel dogs. From this bunch, he would select the dogs with the shortest muzzles and mate them. Since the offspring of all animals inherit traits from their parents, this litter of pups would have muzzles that are, on average, shorter than those of the original stock.
From this first litter, the breeder would choose the dogs with the shortest muzzles and breed them again, and so on and so forth for the next several generations. Over time, the offspring would have ever shorter muzzles, until they eventually became pugs.
However, while it’s possible to control this process, most selection is unconscious. In fact, the most shocking results of breeding tend to occur unintentionally.
Just imagine a pigeon breeder who selects and breeds birds with large tails. Unbeknownst to him, while the pigeons’ tails are growing, the bone structure of their tails is also transforming. Because of this, hundreds of years of breeding produced the Fantail pigeon, with a tail structured like that of a peacock.
Want to see all full key ideas from On the Origin of Species?
Key ideas in On the Origin of Species
More knowledge in less time
Read or listen
Get the key ideas from nonfiction bestsellers in minutes, not hours.
Find your next read
Get book lists curated by experts and personalized recommendations.
Shortcasts New
We’ve teamed up with podcast creators to bring you key insights from podcasts.
What is On the Origin of Species about?
The Origin Of Species (1859) is Charles Darwin’s magnum opus. These blinks outline a theory of how traits are selected by nature, where the tremendous diversity of life on earth came from and how animals and plants came to be distributed across the planet.
On the Origin of Species Review
On the Origin of Species (1859) by Charles Darwin is a groundbreaking work that revolutionized our understanding of the natural world. Here's why this book is worth reading:
- It presents compelling evidence for the theory of evolution and explains how species adapt to their environments over time.
- With its thorough examination of the diversity and interconnectedness of life on Earth, it offers a comprehensive perspective on the complexity of nature.
- The book's logical arguments and insightful observations make it an engaging read for anyone interested in biology and the history of life.
Best quote from On the Origin of Species
Some birds, like cuckoos, have the instinct to lay their eggs in other birds nests.
—Charles Darwin
Who should read On the Origin of Species?
- Anyone interested in science or natural history
- Nature lovers
Categories with On the Origin of Species
Book summaries like On the Origin of Species
The Job-Ready Guide
Anastasia de Waal
Employability Skills and Strategies for Career Success
24 min
4.0
Who We Are and How We Got Here
David Reich
Ancient DNA and the New Science of the Human Past
28 min
4.4
People ❤️ Blinkist
Sven O.
It's highly addictive to get core insights on personally relevant topics without repetition or triviality. Added to that the apps ability to suggest kindred interests opens up a foundation of knowledge.
Thi Viet Quynh N.
Great app. Good selection of book summaries you can read or listen to while commuting. Instead of scrolling through your social media news feed, this is a much better way to spend your spare time in my opinion.
Jonathan A.
Life changing. The concept of being able to grasp a book's main point in such a short time truly opens multiple opportunities to grow every area of your life at a faster rate.
Renee D.
Great app. Addicting. Perfect for wait times, morning coffee, evening before bed. Extremely well written, thorough, easy to use.
People also liked these summaries
4.7 Stars
Average ratings on iOS and Google Play
31 Million
Downloads on all platforms
10+ years
Experience igniting personal growth
On the Origin of Species FAQs
What is the main message of On the Origin of Species?
The main message of On the Origin of Species is that species evolve through natural selection.
How long does it take to read On the Origin of Species?
The reading time for On the Origin of Species varies depending on the reader's speed, but it typically takes several hours. However, the Blinkist summary can be read in just 15 minutes.
Is On the Origin of Species a good book? Is it worth reading?
On the Origin of Species is a fascinating read for anyone interested in evolutionary biology. It provides groundbreaking insights into the development of life on Earth.
Who is the author of On the Origin of Species?
Charles Darwin is the author of On the Origin of Species.
What to read after On the Origin of Species?
If you're wondering what to read next after On the Origin of Species, here are some recommendations we suggest:
- Cosmos by Carl Sagan
- Beyond Good and Evil by Friedrich Nietzsche
- Workstyle by Lizzie Penny and Alex Hirst
- Phaedo by Plato
- Licence to be Bad by Jonathan Aldred
- A Vindication of the Rights of Woman by Mary Wollstonecraft
- Lost and Founder by Rand Fishkin
- Adaptability by Max McKeown
- The Idea Is the Easy Part by Brian Dovey
- Why is Sex Fun? by Jared Diamond