When Darwin first published his book On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection:
A) it was criticized because he ignored genetics
B) he was attacked for plagiarizing the work of Alfred Russell Wallace
C) it was an enormous success and quickly sold out its first printing
D) he placated the Church by adding a preface that indicated his belief that evolution was the way in which God created life

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection was an enormous success and quickly sold out its first printing. The other options are incorrect: A is incorrect because genetics had not yet been discovered, B is incorrect because Wallace and Darwin had independently arrived at similar conclusions and Wallace actually supported Darwin's work, and D is incorrect because Darwin removed any explicit reference to a creator and avoided any direct confrontation with the Church.

When Darwin First Published His Book on the Origin of Species