Gosse argued that fossils are not really the remains of creatures which existed. Gosse's work was popular with neither Christians nor evolutionists.

The history of evolutionary thought is often seen as a triumph of secularism in the form of 'scientific naturalism', over religious bigotry. But for those involved in the debate during the nineteenth century, these divisions were not so clearly marked. This collection of nine volumes will bring together key works in the development of evolutionary theory from fundamentalists, such as Philip Gosse who insisted on a literal reading of Genesis, to T.H. Huxley, whose passionate defence of evolution theory earned him the title of 'Darwin's Bulldog'. Between these two extreme positions are situated the works of Cuvier, Wallace, Buckland, Lyell and Owen, all of whom rejected Darwin's version of evolution to varying degrees. Each volume includes a new introduction by the editor, which provides an historical and intellectual context for each of the works, while a general introduction in the first volume provides an overview of the collection as a whole.

On the Origin of Species caused an uproar when it was first published in 1859. Darwin's theory was that species had evolved from simpler organisms by natural selection acting upon the variability of populations. This view was directly opposed to the doctrine of special creation by God and angered the Church and Victorian public opinion. This volume is a facsimile of one of the original copies sent to the eminent geologist Leonard Horner. The volume also includes sample pages from Darwin's original handwritten manuscript; the exclusive property of the Natural History Museum.

On the Origin of Species caused an uproar when it was first published in 1859. Darwin's theory was that species had evolved from simpler organisms by natural selection acting upon the variability of populations. This view was directly opposed to the doctrine of special creation by God and angered the Church and Victorian public opinion. This volume is a facsimile of one of the original copies sent to the eminent geologist Leonard Horner. The volume also includes sample pages from Darwin's original handwritten manuscript; the exclusive property of the Natural History Museum.