Charles Darwin (1809-1882). Illustration of the British naturalist Charles Darwin, pictured with birds at various stages of their evolution. Darwin proposed the theory of evolution with natural selection as the driving force behind it. When his theory was published, in On the Origin of Species By Means of Natural Selection (1859), it caused a storm of controversy as it flew in the face of the widely accepted belief that species were created as they now are, by a divine creator (i.e. God). Although most scientists now accept evolution and natural selection based on overwhelming evidence, some controversy remains surrounding the issue.