Darwin delayed publishing Origin of Species for 20 years 'because he was busy'

Last updated at 12:18 28 March 2007


Charles Darwin delayed publishing his ground-breaking theory of evolution for 20 years not because he feared the reaction - but simply because he was busy, according to new research.

Cambridge University historian John van Wyhe says Darwin waited until 1859 before revealing the Origin Of Species because he was working on other books and hampered by ill-health.

He says theories that Darwin delayed because he was afraid are wrong.

"Darwin was aware that his theories would be despised but that does not mean he was afraid of saying what he believed," says Dr van Wyhe in an essay in the Notes and Records of the Royal Society.

"His project was highly ambitious and of immense scope and he needed time to garner the necessary evidence.

"But he was also working on other projects... and these pushed back the date until he could start work on his species theory."

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