Who proposed natural selection alongside Darwin?
Quick answer
British naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace (1823–1913) came up with the theory of evolution by natural selection independently of Charles Darwin. In 1858, while in the Malay Archipelago, he sent Darwin an essay describing the idea. Their work was presented together at the Linnean Society of London on July 1, 1858.
Key facts
- Naturalist
- Alfred Russel Wallace (1823–1913)
- Key essay
- 1858, written on the island of Ternate
- Joint presentation
- July 1, 1858, Linnean Society, London
- Famous book
- The Malay Archipelago (1869)
The letter that changed everything
Darwin had been developing his theory privately for about 20 years. In June 1858, he received Wallace’s essay and was shocked to find nearly the same idea. Friends arranged for both men’s work to be presented together, so both received credit. Darwin then rushed to finish On the Origin of Species, published in 1859. See what evolution is.
Wallace, who was still in Asia, wasn’t consulted in advance, but he later said he was happy with the arrangement and generously called the theory “Darwinism.”
An explorer and collector
| Years | Expedition |
|---|---|
| 1848–1852 | Amazon rainforest, with Henry Walter Bates; most of his collection was lost when his ship burned |
| 1854–1862 | Malay Archipelago (today Malaysia, Indonesia and nearby), collecting more than 125,000 specimens |
He funded his travels by selling specimens to museums and collectors. For the giant rainforest he explored, see the largest rainforest in the world.
The Wallace Line
Wallace noticed a sharp boundary in the animals of the Indonesian islands. West of a line running between Bali and Lombok, and between Borneo and Sulawesi, animals were mostly Asian (monkeys, tigers); to the east, they were more Australian (marsupials, cockatoos). This boundary is now called the Wallace Line, and it helped found the science of biogeography.
Why is Darwin better known?
Darwin published a long, detailed book backed by decades of evidence, while Wallace’s paper was short. Darwin was also part of the scientific establishment. In recent decades, historians and museums have worked to give Wallace more recognition.
Darwin’s journey
Darwin’s own ideas began on a five-year voyage; see what ship Darwin sailed on.
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