Galton published 'Hereditary Genius', a seminal work in which he argued that intellectual ability is largely inherited. He analyzed the family histories of prominent individuals, concluding that genius tends to run in families. This book laid the foundation for his subsequent work on eugenics.

Galton made significant contributions to statistical theory, particularly in the areas of correlation and regression. He developed the concept of correlation to measure the degree of association between two variables. He also introduced the term 'regression' to describe the tendency of extreme traits in parents to regress toward the population mean in their offspring.

Galton established the Anthropometric Laboratory at the International Health Exhibition in London. This laboratory provided a platform for collecting data on human physical and mental characteristics, allowing Galton to study the distribution of traits within the population and to investigate the relationship between different traits.

Galton conducted pioneering research on fingerprints, demonstrating their uniqueness and permanence. He developed a classification system for fingerprints and advocated for their use in forensic science and personal identification. His work laid the groundwork for modern fingerprint analysis techniques.

Galton developed several statistical tools and methods, including the Galton board (quincunx), which demonstrates the normal distribution, and the concept of percentiles. These tools contributed to the advancement of statistical analysis and its application to various fields.