Vestiges of the Natural History of Creation
Together with Explanations: A Sequel

Anonymously published in 1844, Vestiges was among the first texts to propose a scientific view of the history of creation.

Robert Chambers (Author)

9781108001670, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 20 July 2009

648 pages
21.6 x 14 x 3.6 cm, 0.81 kg

Vestiges of the Natural History of Creation was published anonymously in 1844. Starting with the genesis of the solar system, it progresses systematically through such topics as the formation of the earth, the origins of marine life, the emergence of reptiles, birds and other life forms, and the evolution of human life. Drawing widely upon contemporary ideas from astronomy, biology, geology, linguistics, and anthropology, it seeks to establish the 'hypothesis of an organic creation by natural law'. Preceding Darwin's Origin of Species by fifteen years, Vestiges ignited a storm of controversy by pitting natural law and its role in what would soon come to be known as 'evolution' against the generally accepted Victorian belief that the universe was created by God. In 1884, it was revealed that the author was the British publisher Robert Chambers. This fifth edition of the work also contains its 1845 sequel, Explanations.

1. The bodies of space – their arrangements and formation
2. Constituent materials of the Earth and of the other Bodies of Space
3. The Earth formed – Era of the Primary Rocks
4. Commencements of Organic Life – sea plants, corals, etc.
5. Era of the Old Red Sandstone – fishes abundant
6. Secondary Rocks – Era of the Carboniferous Formation – Commencement of land plants
7. Era of the New Red Sandstone – Terrestrial Zoology commences with reptiles – first traces of birds
8. Era of the Oolite – Commencement of Mammalia
9. Era of the Cretaceous Formation
10. Era of the Tertiary Formation – Mammalia abundant
11. Era of the Superficial Formations – Commencemnt of present species
12. General considerations respecting the origin of the animated tribes
13. Particular considerations respecting the origin of the animated tribes
14. Hypothesis of the development of the vegetable and animal kingdoms
15. Affinities and geographical distributions of organisms
16. Early history of mankind
17. Mental constitution of animals
18. Purpose and general condition of the animated creation
19. Note conclusory
Appendix.

Subject Areas: Evolution [PSAJ]