Man selects only for his own good: Nature only for that of the being which she tends. On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, a path-breaking scientific work by British naturalist Charles Darwin was first published in 1859. This book laid the foundations for modern evolutionary biology. In it, Darwin asserts that plant and animal life evolved from earlier forms through a process called natural selection. As a naturalist aboard the H.M.S. Beagle (1831?1836) Darwin conducted his observation and research in the Gala_pagos Islands, off the coast of South America. He recorded data on various species found there and these observations helped him formulate his theory about the mystery of the origin of species. The Theory of Evolution broke new ground by explaining the origin of species through descent from common ancestors, not by a divine power. On the Origin of Species covers a wide range of subjects, including the principles of mutation, variation, natural selection, evolution, amongst others. This seminal work has influenced many disciplines of study such as anthropology, the Classics, and religious studies.