Essay \"Charles Darwin, Alfred Russel Wallace, And The Theory Of Evolution\" - Grade A PDF

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Professor Alyssa Crittenden ANTH 102 30 January 2015 Charles Darwin, Alfred Russel Wallace, and the Theory of Evolution In the 1800’s, the general population was very religious and everyone believed that animals, plants, and humans came from the Divine Creator, or God. However, there were some people who grew up with a different mindset and challenged the way people thought about the world. Through traveling and extensive research, naturalists Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace both independently founded their own theories on the evolution and adaption of species around the world. Although these two brilliant scientists lived and did research in different areas of the world, their lives would intertwine and leave a lasting mark on the scientific community. Charles Darwin was born in 1809 in England to Robert Waring Daring and Susannah Wedgwood, both whom loved Charles and his siblings deeply (Desmond). His father sent him to study medicine at Edinburgh University in 1825, but he found himself becoming more and more interested in studying the “natural system” (Desmond). Learning things like anatomy, the structure of organisms, and the changes seen in them over time ended up influencing his decision to make the trip around the world in The Beagle ship on December 27, 1831 (Desmond). He had the opportunity to explore all over South America with an experienced crew, including Peru, The Amazon Rainforest, and the Andes Mountains (Desmond). One of his most famous destinations was the landing on Daphne Island in the Galapagos Island chain. This is where Darwin witnessed the famous finches that introduced his theory of natural selection. When this voyage ended, Darwin spend many years writing down his thoughts, ideas, and theories (Desmond). After speaking to the famous biologist Thomas Henry Huxley about introducing his ideas to the world,

he began to construct a formal novel in which he was going to use to present his theories (Desmond). After receiving a letter from another naturalist, Alfred Russel Wallace, Darwin put his heart and soul into finishing his work. More on this connection will be discussed later. Alfred Russel Wallace was born in 1823 in Wales and grew up writing about many different controversial subjects, including spiritualism, religion, social problems, and naturalistic ideas (Camerini). His concern for the human life and how the species came into existence was a huge contributing factor that led to his name being famously mentioned for years to come (Camerini). He was a surveyor, so spending time outdoors was something that Wallace did daily (Camerini). Reading scripts and articles from famous naturalists like Thomas Malthus and Charles Darwin also increased his curiosity on the subject of evolution as well (Camerini). Wallace ended up taking an extraordinary trip to Brazil in 1848 with his friend Henry Walter Bates as specimen collectors with the hope of making a new discovery (Camerini). After finding many specimens on this trip, Wallace made it back to the Amazon Basin for more research (Camerini). He spent a fair amount of time collecting data and putting all of his theories on evolution and natural selection (Camerini). In 1858, Alfred Russel Wallace sent a detailed paper of his own theories and ideas to Charles Darwin himself (Camerini). Darwin saw a striking resemblance in the work from Wallace, and this ultimately kick started Darwin into finishing his work for fear of being out shadowed by another naturalist (Desmond). This interaction between these two brilliant naturalists paved the way for Darwin’s success and ultimately made him more well-known than Wallace would ever be. The impact that both men had on the theory of evolution and the ideas of natural selection brought to light the different perspectives that can be used to see the world. Although their work

offended many people who have religious perspectives, scientists, evolutionists, and naturalists all greatly benefited from their research and many doors were opened because of them. Charles Darwin wrote many pieces for science, including The Structure and Distribution of Coral Reefs (1842), Geological Observations on South America (1846), The Descent of Man, and the Selection in Relation to Sex, Vol. 2 (1871), and most famously, On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life (1859) (Desmond). He also had some other published works on natural selection that were published by Paul H. Barrett as journal articles (Desmond). Alfred Russel Wallace released many important works as well, including some scientific articles, books, and a concise map of the Negro River (Camerini). He wrote many works such as Contributions to the Theory of Natural Selection (1870), Geographical Distribution of Animals (1876), and Island Life (1880) (Camerini). Wallace published a total of twenty-one books during his lifetime, and won several awards for his work, including the Royal Society of London’s Royal Medal in 1868 (Camerini). These men changed the way that people viewed the discovery of different animal species and how they are interpreted by the general public. Going against the more popular thinking pattern took so much courage, and they ultimately altered the thinking of everyone around the world during the 19th century. Thanks to both Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace, theories on natural selection, evolution and adaptation continue to be the backbone to any new discoveries in this field.

Works Cited Desmond, Adrian J. “Charles Darwin: British Naturalist.” Encyclopedia Britannica, 16 November 2014. Web. 29 January 2015. Camerini, Jane R. “Alfred Russel Wallace.” Encyclopedia Britannica, 20 July 2014. Web. 29 January 2015....