EightyearslaterHerbertSpencerpublishedanessaycontrastingthetheoriesofcreationandevolution——reasoningwithgreatforceinfavourofthelatter，showingthatspecieshadundoubtedlybeenmodifiedbycircumstances；butstillonlyfewandchosenmensawthesignificanceofalltheselinesofreasoningwhichhadbeenconvergingduringsomanyyearstowardoneconclusion。
OnJuly1，1858，therewerereadbeforetheLinnaeanSocietyatLondontwopapers——onepresentedbyCharlesDarwin，theotherbyAlfredRusselWallace——andwiththereadingofthesepapersthedoctrineofevolutionbynaturalselectionwasborn。Thenandthereafatalbreachwasmadeinthegreattheologicalbarrierofthecontinuedfixityofspeciessincethecreation。
Thestoryofthesepapersthescientificworldknowsbyheart：
howCharlesDarwin，havingbeensenttotheUniversityofCambridgetofithimfortheAnglicanpriesthood，leftitin1831
togouponthescientificexpeditionoftheBeagle；howforfiveyearshestudiedwithwonderfulvigourandacutenesstheproblemsoflifeasrevealedonlandandatsea——amongvolcanoesandcoralreefs，inforestsandonthesands，fromthetropicstothearcticregions；how，intheCapeVerdeandtheGalapagosIslands，andinBrazil，Patagonia，andAustraliaheinterrogatedNaturewithmatchlesspersistencyandskill；howhereturnedunheralded，quietlysettleddowntohiswork，andsoonsettheworldthinkingoveritsfirstpublishedresults，suchashisbookonCoralReefs，andthemonographontheCirripedia；and，finally，howhepresentedhispaper，andfolloweditupwithtreatiseswhichmadehimoneofthegreatleadersinthehistoryofhumanthought。