The concept that humans evolved from ape-like ancestors was proposed by Charles Darwin, an English naturalist, in his groundbreaking work "On the Origin of Species." Darwin's book was published on November 24, 1859, and it presented the theory of evolution by natural selection. This theory proposed that all species, including humans, have descended from common ancestors and have undergone gradual changes over time through the process of natural selection.
In "On the Origin of Species," Darwin provided extensive evidence from various fields such as biology, geology, and paleontology to support his theory of evolution. He argued that species with advantageous traits were more likely to survive and reproduce, passing on those traits to future generations, while less-adapted individuals were less likely to survive and reproduce.
Darwin's theory of evolution challenged prevailing views of creationism and the fixity of species, setting off a major intellectual and scientific revolution. Although Darwin's ideas were initially met with controversy and resistance, over time, they gained wide acceptance and fundamentally changed the way we understand the diversity and development of life on Earth. Today, the theory of evolution by natural selection is one of the central principles of modern biology.