LAMARCK (Jean-Baptiste de). Systême des animaux sans vertèbres, ou Tableau général des classes, des ordres et des genres de ces animaux. Paris, Chez l'Auteur, Deterville, An IX - 1801. In-8, half marbled basane with small corners, ornate smooth spine, red title page, yellow edges (Contemporary binding). Dibner, n°194. - Garrison-Morton, n°215.5. First edition, with 8 tables, 6 of which are folding. A major work in the history of science, in which Lamarck (1744-1829) presents for the first time his theory of transformism or the evolution of species: Based on his in-depth knowledge of present-day and fossil invertebrates, Lamarck founded the doctrine of Transformism, i.e. the development of animal life on the globe from the simplest ancient beings to the most highly-developed present-day ones, including man. He developed this theory, which he had proposed as early as 1800, in his 1809 Philosophie zoologique. After steadily but slowly gaining ground in the minds of naturalists in the first half of the 19th century, this theory triumphed in the second half thanks to Darwinism (En français dans le texte, n°205). Slight worm damage over 3 cm to one spine.