Alfred Russel Wallace
Biology: AQA GCSE Higher, topic 6.3.6
Alfred Russel Wallace
Most people think that Charles Darwin was alone in thinking about natural selection. In fact, Alfred Russel Wallace wrote to Darwin in 1858, expressing his similar thinking. Both authors had:
Island research
- Both had spent a significant amount of time on islands.
- This decision helped their research on evolution because the isolation of island populations leads to enhanced speciation rates.
Joint writings
- In 1858, the two combined their great minds to produce joint writings.
Competition
- After the two had produced joint writings, Darwin accelerated the publication of ‘On The Origin of Species’ to be the first of the two to publish.
Test yourself on Alfred Russel Wallace
What did Darwin and Wallace have in common?
In what year did Darwin and Wallace produce joint writings?
Why did Darwin accelerate the publication of 'On The Origin of Species' after producing joint writings with Wallace?
What was the main subject of the joint writings that Darwin and Wallace produced in 1858?
Why did Darwin accelerate the publication of 'On The Origin of Species' after producing joint writings with Wallace?