title: Levels of selection in Darwin's Origin of Species.
abstract: References in Darwin's Origin of Species to competition between units of selection at and above the level of individual organisms are enumerated. In many cases these references clearly speak of natural selection and do not support the view that Darwin thought selection only occurred at the level of the individual organism. Darwin did see organismal selection as the main process by which varieties were created but he also espoused what is here termed community and varietal selection. He saw no essential difference between varieties and species and the references show that he also believed that selection could operate at the species level.
authors.affiliation: , Bury St Edmunds, UK, gordon.chancellor@btinternet.com.
authors.forename: Gordon
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Chancellor
mesh_terms: D005075:Biological Evolution; D049672:History, 19th Century; D019021:Natural History / Q000266:history*; D012641:Selection, Genetic