Abstract
Doxography has preserved several remarks which may portray Anaximander as the precursor of evolutionary thought. The point of departure for the origin of life was most probably water in conjunction with the earth.
In the water there lived the first living beings, wrapped in spiny bark which burst open as soon as they came to dry land. Because of the long-term helplessness of man, he associated human origin with fish, or at least with beings similar to fish.
Most probably Anaximander only explained the origin of the first living beings rather than their development into their present form. The attribution of evolutionary thought to Anaximander is not therefore fully warranted.
It is probably not justified either.