Serious family financial problems forced him to leave Science historian George Beccaloni said of him: “There were very long, glowing obituaries in all the world’s papers from Bombay to Boston saying he was the last of the great Victorians. Darwin had been working on the very same theory for 20 years, but was yet to publish. He has discovered numerous species and is the co-founder of evolutionary theory, along with Darwin. Vaguely thinking over the enormous and constant destruction which this implied, it occurred to me to ask the question, why do some die and some live? Alfred Russel Wallace died aged 90 in Broadstone, England, 7 November, 1913. He co-discovered with Charles Darwin the theory of evolution by natural selection, and he is one of the founders of the modern field of biogeography. Wallace spent six years in Brazil before sailing back to the UK in 1852 with his collection of specimens. His research on geographic distribution of animals of the Malay Archipelago supported his evolutionary theories and led him to devise what became known as the Wallace Line , the boundary separating Australian fauna from Asian fauna. His father believed he was descended from William Wallace, the Scottish warrior portrayed in the movie Braveheart. After leaving school in 1837 at the age of fourteen, due to his family's financial constraints, he became passionately interested in beetle collecting and other aspects of natural history. Briefly describe Wallace's contributions. He is best known for independently conceiving the theory of evolution through natural selection; his paper on the subject was jointly published with some of Charles Darwin's writings in 1858. This prompted Darwin to publish On the Origin of Species. By 1855, Wallace had come to the conclusion that living things evolve. In Brazil he realized that geographical barriers often mark species boundaries. Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. Yet Wallace was a great naturalist in his own right, particularly in the way he used evolutionary theory to interpret the natural world. Even his terms now stand as heads of my chapters!'. Alfred Russel Wallace was a key contributor to the theory of evolution and the theory of natural selection. Alfred Russel Wallace was born on January 8, 1823 and died on November 7, 1913. Wallace's independent proposal of a theory of evolution by natural selection prompted Charles Darwin to reveal his own more developed and researched, but unpublished, theory sooner than he had intended. He received the highest awards science could bestow, including: Royal Medal (1868), Gold Medal of the Société de Géographie (1870), Darwin Medal (1890), Founder’s Medal (1892), Linnean Medal (1892), Copley Medal (1908), Gold Darwin-Wallace Medal (1908), Order of Merit (1908). The Discovery Institute has had a strange relationship with Alfred Russel Wallace (1823 – 1913) for years. I would like to add that Wallace’s contributions to science expanded into diverse fields like biogeography, systems theory, exobiology, and anthropology. He trained and worked as a land surveyor, initially with his older brother’s firm. After more than four years collecting, Wallace sailed back to England but disaster struck on the high seas. He also observed a big change in the animal life between two islands – Bali and Lombok – which are separated by a short stretch of water. That day marks a before and after in the history of biology. By all accounts, Wallace had a happy childhood until his family fell on very hard times in 1835, due to his father being swindled out of his family’s property. Highlights include his colourful descriptions of birds of paradise and orangutans, and encounters with local inhabitants. He proposed an imaginary line dividing the region in two parts. Wallace noticed a striking pattern in the distribution of animals around the archipelago. What relation was Erasmus Darwin to Charles Darwin and how did he influence Charles Darwin? They financed the trip by collecting specimens and selling them. Credit: National Portrait Gallery. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. He published more than 500 scientific papers. In his 1878 book Tropical Nature, and Other Essays he attributed the greater diversity of the tropics to the greater age of tropical regions and their having escaped the catastrophic extinctions caused by glacial climates at higher latitudes. Curator Jon Ablett gives an insight into the crucial and never-ending work of taxonomists. The Malay Archipelago is a book by the British naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace which chronicles his scientific exploration, during the eight-year period 1854 to 1862, of the southern portion of the Malay Archipelago including Malaysia, Singapore, the islands of Indonesia, then known as the Dutch East Indies, and the island of New Guinea.It was published in two volumes in 1869, … Today we hear about Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection. As animals usually breed much more quickly than does mankind, the destruction every year from these causes must be enormous in order to keep down the numbers of each species, since evidently they do not increase regularly from year to year, as otherwise the world would long ago have been crowded with those that breed most quickly. What Happens when the Universe chooses its own Units? Portrait of Alfred Russel Wallace (around 1863). On returning home, Wallace published a travel book, The Malay Archipelago. Alfred Russel Wallace was one of the 19th Century’s greatest field biologists, yet his scientific legacy is much farther reaching than it would first appear to the casual observer. Please use the following MLA compliant citation: This is a great article. Wallace, to the discomfort of many contemporaries, was a spiritualist. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Wallace expressed no resentment at this - in fact he was Darwin's greatest fan. As part of a continuing correspondence he was having with Charles Darwin, Wallace wrote a private letter to Darwin in June 1858 with an essay containing his theory of evolution. The pressure of population growth Interestingly, Darwin and Wallace found their inspiration in economics. Wallace returned to the UK in 1862, aged 39. Alfred Russel Wallace and Natural Selection: the Real Story By Dr George Beccaloni, Director of the Wallace Correspondence Project, March 2013 Alfred Russel Wallace OM, LLD, DCL, FRS, FLS was born near Usk, Monmouthshire, England (now part of Wales) on January 8th, 1823. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. From that time on, Darwin overshadowed Wallace and it has usually been his name alone associated with the theory of evolution by natural selection. Pipra manakins collected by Wallace in the Amazon. ... Did he have family? When he was in Malay Archipelago, he collected at least 126,000 specimens. Over a period of eight years, he accumulated an astonishing 125,660 specimens, including more than 5,000 species new to western science. Some people have suggested Darwin stole Wallace’s idea. But few people know this. He was also a pioneer in the field of biogeography, contributing significantly to the study of geographical distribution of … As his interest in insects grew, he became inspired reading about naturalists such as Carl Linnaeus, Charles Darwin, and Alexander von Humboldt: these were scientists who had traveled overseas gathering samples, compiling data, and discovering new species. When he died, he was the most famous biologist in the world. Alfred Russel Wallace collected an estimated 5,000 new species (mostly animals) during his 8 year trip to the 'Malay Archipelago' (1854-62) and an unknown number during his earlier 4 year trip to Amazonia (1848-52) (many of his specimens were destroyed when his ship caught fire on the way back to Britain). Facts about Alfred Russel Wallace 10: The Malay Archipelago. © All rights reserved. Join Museum scientists as they survey the incredible diversity of invertebrates living in the rainforests of Borneo. He proposed an imaginary line dividing the region in two parts. His paper detailing the natural selection mechanism was published together with writings by Charles Darwin in 1858, setting the basis for … Photograph courtesy of Biophoto Associates/Science Source Alfred Russel Wallace’s ideas regarding the origin of species paralleled those of Charles Darwin at the same time in history. When was Alfred Russel Wallace born? Four years later the pair headed for the Amazon, having been inspired by stories of discovery in the New World and Oceania. Wallace had no formal training as a biologist and did not go to university. Get email updates about our news, science, exhibitions, events, products, services and fundraising activities. One of the papers said only a great ruler would have had the sort of level of obituary recognition as Wallace.”. These cookies do not store any personal information. Alfred Russel Wallace was a British scientist, anthropologist, biologist and explorer, best known for discovering the concept of evolution by natural selection. How do you name and categorise all life on Earth? He discovered thousands of new species of beetle and he sent over 100,000 specimens of various species back to the UK. Darwin Pleaded for Cheaper Origin of Species, Getting Through Hard Times – The Triumph of Stoic Philosophy, Johannes Kepler, God, and the Solar System, Charles Babbage and the Vengeance of Organ-Grinders, Howard Robertson – the Man who Proved Einstein Wrong, Susskind, Alice, and Wave-Particle Gullibility. Later known as Wallace's Line, this marked the boundary between the animal life of the Australian region and that of Asia. Wallace immediately wrote to someone he knew was interested in the subject, Charles Darwin. Unfortunately, the ship he was sailing on caught fire in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. He is best known for independently conceiving the theory of evolution through natural selection; his paper on the subject was … Charles Darwin did not discover or invent evolution, but rather his contribution to the theory of evolution was how it worked. We use cookies to make your online experience sweeter. Alfred Russel Wallace contributed to the Theory of Evolution as well but is far less known outside scientific circles. This website uses cookies to improve your experience. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. His role in the matter, and Darwin's support, ensured his entry to the highest ranks of the scientific establishment. He believed that natural selection could not explain the human intellect, and that the human spirit persisted after death. In 2002, recognizing Wallace’s discovery, the evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins said we should be talking about the Darwin-Wallace mechanism of natural selection. Working outdoors, Wallace grew interested in the natural world and began collecting insects. Alfred Russel Wallace would have been 90 years old at the time of death or 192 years old today. Wallace and Darwin did not agree on everything. Brazil In 1854, Wallace began an eight-year exploration of the Malay Archipelago. Alfred Russel Wallace may not be well known outside the scientific community, but his contributions to the theory of evolution were invaluable to Charles Darwin.In fact, Wallace and Darwin collaborated on the idea of natural selection and presented their findings jointly to the Linnean Society in London. Lived 1823 - 1913. Now his legacy is slowly returning to the public eye as he gains recognition for his overshadowed theories in … Wallace collected more than 100,000 insect, bird and animal specimens, which he gave to British museums. In the East Indies he suffered a tropical fever which caused him to have hallucinations. Wallace was one of the world’s greatest biologists. Alfred Russel Wallace. Lyell and Hooker decided Wallace and Darwin’s theories should be read at a meeting of the Linnean Society on July 1, 1858, and, to establish Darwin’s priority, which Lyell and Hooker believed was proper, Darwin’s should be read first. Privacy notice. Alfred Russel Wallace (1823-1913) was a man of many talents - an explorer, collector, naturalist, geographer, anthropologist and political commentator. He also put his surveying skills to use, spending four years charting the course of the Rio Negro, collecting specimens, and making observations about the people and the languages he encountered along the way. Alfred Russel Wallace discovered the concept of evolution by natural selection. Wallace was a highly original thinker and was not afraid of controversy. In 1854, aged 31, he set off on a new voyage to Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, and New Guinea. Darwin's masterpiece, The Origin of Species, came out the following year. But the joint article of Darwin and Wallace did not cause much of an immediate sensation. When he recovered, he found the theory of evolution by natural selection had come to him. 1823. It seems unlikely a friendship would have been possible if Wallace believed Darwin had behaved badly to him. Alfred Russel Wallace was born on January 8, 1823, in his family home of Kensington House in Usk, Monmouthshire, Wales. Alfred Russel Wallace's legacy is frequently overshadowed by Darwin's achievements. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. And so the theory of evolution by natural selection was born. Wallace went north by river, collecting in areas previously unexplored by European naturalists. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. All the specimens he had brought on the ship were lost, along with most of what he had written and drawn. You must be over the age of 13. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. After a short time exploring together, the two men split up in order to cover more ground. He was the eighth of nine children, born into a middle-class family. When he received Wallace’s essay, Darwin passed it to the geologist Charles Lyell and botanist Joseph Hooker, with whom he had previously discussed his own ideas of evolution by natural selection. Hoyle’s proposal is not supported by the majority of biologists or historians of science. Evolution and natural selection (some say before Darwin) Where did he travel to collect specimens? He is best known for independently proposing a theory of natural selection which prompted Charles Darwin to publish his own theory. Their aim was to investigate the origin of species. It was on this expedition that Wallace first described the theory of evolution. The passengers and crew abandoned ship and Wallace spent 10 days in an open boat before he was picked up. So we have heard a … Alfred Russel Wallace discovered the concept of evolution by natural selection. Few biologists would admit to believing the spirits of dead people are around us, but Wallace did! Author of this page: The Doc Alfred Russel Wallace. His family were middle class, but they were not well off. Although now rarely mentioned as the discoverer (Darwin, who discovered the theory independently, is usually cited) Wallace enjoyed a high reputation in his lifetime and received many of science’s most prestigious awards. We use them to help improve our content, personalise it for you and tailor our digital advertising on third-party platforms. He came to understand how species evolved - they changed because the fittest individuals survived and reproduced, passing their advantageous characteristics on to their offspring. Today Alfred Russel Wallace (left) is a prisoner of scientific parentheses, as in, "the theory of evolution by natural selection proposed by Charles Darwin (and also by Alfred Russel Wallace)." Alfred Russel Wallace is one of the most noted biologists in history. An interesting question sometimes asked is: “How long would it have taken Darwin to publish his own theory of evolution if Wallace hadn’t sent him his essay?”. This is the land where Alfred Russel Wallace spent 8 years exploring from 1854 to 1862, and where he made some of the most important scientific discoveries of all time. He was also one of the first biologists to express concern about the effects humans were having on the natural world. Wallace’s journey to the Amazon began in Leicester in 1844 when he met budding young amateur naturalist Henry Walter Bates (1825-1892), after Wallace accepted a job at the Collegiate School there. 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This is the largest archipelago in the world, with 25,000 islands. After he made exploration in Malay Archipelago, he wrote a book with the title The Malay Archipelago and published in 1869. In earlier times it was often called the Darwin-Wallace theory. They're customizable and designed to help you study and learn more effectively.