In 1858, Wallace sent his paper for review by Charles Darwin, who had previously commented that they thought alike. Such biogeographical discoveries contributed to Wallace’s refined thoughts on evolution and his independent insights on natural selection principles. Wallace’s understanding of varied zoological regions highlighted the preservation of certain primitive varieties of a species within isolated territories, such as the remaining lemurs of Madagascar. This boundary was later named the ‘ Wallace Line’ by Thomas Henry Huxley and represented a difference between animals on the eastern and western sides with respective Australian and Asian origins. Image from First Contributions to Natural Selection Theoryĭuring his fieldwork, Wallace observed differences in wildlife on either side of a conceptualized divide of the Indonesian archipelago. Collections and related notes, including 80 bird skeletons from Wallace’s travels, can still be found in international museums today. ![]() Wallace’s efforts amassed more than 125,000 specimens in the Malay Archipelago alone, thousands of which were totally new to science. ![]() Left only with the objects he’d shipped from Rio Negro, Wallace’s work was far from over he went on to write six academic papers and two books, increasingly making connections with other British naturalists.Īt age 31, Wallace set sail once again, this time to the Malay Archipelago (now Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia.) He sought to continue his exploration of natural history, while collecting artefacts to sell. Saved by a passing ship, the ships crew returned to the UK empty-handed Wallace’s artefacts, notes, and sketches were destroyed. Following four years of exploration and collection, Wallace’s ship tragically caught fire and all but a few of its contents were lost. Wallace believed that these theories could serve as encouragement for the collection of facts by students of nature, providing an ‘object to which could be applied when collected.’ The Undampened Spirit of a Revolutionaryĭisaster struck in 1852 when the voyager set sail for his return to the UK. As a radical, Wallace admired controversial science, writing that hypothesized evolutionary origins of the earth, solar system, and living things were ‘rather ingenious’ and ‘strongly supported by some striking facts and analogies.’ Wallace’s hopes to find proof of evolutionary theory set him apart from a rather skeptical generation, transmutation had been widely discussed but was not generally accepted. During their travels, the pair observes people, languages, geography, plant- and wildlife of Belém and Rio Negro. In 1848, Bates and Wallace headed for Brazil where they hoped to expand their personal collections and to gather evidence of transmutation. Inspired by the accounts of explorers like Robert Chambers and Charles Darwin, Wallace was keen to travel the globe on his own adventures. It was when the keen reader met naturalist and explorer Henry Bates that his interest in collecting insects and discussing popular works of naturalist theory began. ![]() A Young Englishman Inspired by Naturalistsįrom a young age, Wallace explored various career ideas like surveying, law, and mechanics. Wallace’s life work was highly impactful and, if you haven’t heard of him yet, be sure to read on and discover more! This 19 th century maverick was unafraid to champion unconventional or unpopular ideas, voiced stark criticism of social inequality, and led a lifetime of scientific and spiritual exploration. You may link the famous Charles Darwin with discoveries in evolution by natural selection, but have you heard of his often-overlooked contemporary Alfred Russel Wallace? Known in the 19 th century for his huge developments in evolutionary theory, Wallace has since been overshadowed by Darwin’s social and scientific status. Image: Evstafieff/Down House, Downe, Kent, UK/English Heritage Photo Library/Bridgemanįrontiers for Young Minds takes you on the journey of the tumultuous life of a radical scientist who contributed more to the development of the currently known evolutionary theory than you might be aware of.
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