Darwin is credited with discovering evolution through natural selection, but Alfred Russel Wallace saw the same process at work in nature and elaborated the same theory. Dispelling misperceptions of Wallace as a secondary figure, James Costa reveals the two naturalists as equals in advancing one of the greatest scientific discoveries of all time.

Charles Darwin is often credited with discovering evolution through natural selection, but the idea was not his alone. The naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace, working independently, saw the same process at work in the natural world and elaborated much the same theory. Their important scientific contributions made both men famous in their lifetimes, but Wallace slipped into obscurity after his death, while Darwin’s renown grew. Dispelling the misperceptions that continue to paint Wallace as a secondary figure, James Costa reveals the two naturalists as true equals in advancing one of the greatest scientific discoveries of all time. Analyzing Wallace’s “Species Notebook,” Costa shows how Wallace’s methods and thought processes paralleled Darwin’s, yet inspired insights uniquely his own. Kept during his Southeast Asian expeditions of the 1850s, the notebook is a window into Wallace’s early evolutionary ideas. It records his evidence-gathering, critiques of anti-evolutionary arguments, and plans for a book on “transmutation.” Most important, it demonstrates conclusively that natural selection was not some idea Wallace stumbled upon, as is sometimes assumed, but was the culmination of a decade-long quest to solve the mystery of the origin of species. Wallace, Darwin, and the Origin of Species also reexamines the pivotal episode in 1858 when Wallace sent Darwin a manuscript announcing his discovery of natural selection, prompting a joint public reading of the two men’s papers on the subject. Costa’s analysis of the “Species Notebook” shines a new light on these readings, further illuminating the independent nature of Wallace’s discoveries.

A beautifully illustrated volume follows a lesser-known Victorian naturalist and explorer on his global journeys — and reveals how he developed his own theory of evolution. Everyone knows Charles Darwin, the famous naturalist who proposed a theory of evolution. But not everyone knows the story of Alfred Russel Wallace, Darwin’s friend and rival who simultaneously discovered the process of natural selection. This sumptuously illustrated book tells Wallace’s story, from his humble beginnings to his adventures in the Amazon rain forest and Malay Archipelago, and demonstrates the great contribution he made to one of the most important scientific discoveries of all time.

Alfred Russel Wallace (1823-1913), co-discoverer of natural selection, was second only to Charles Darwin as the 19th century's most noted English naturalist. Yet his belief in spiritualism caused him to be ridiculed and dismissed by many. Though based upon very different formulations of natural selection, the Wallace/Darwin dispute as presented by Flannery shows a metaphysical clash of worldviews coextensive with modern evolutionary theory itself.

“The facts of variability, of the struggle for existence, of adaptation to conditions, were notorious enough; but none of us had suspected that the road to the heart of the species problem lay through them, until Darwin and Wallace dispelled the darkness.”T H Huxley (1887) Darwin is one of the most famous scientists in history. But he was not alone. Comparatively forgotten, Wallace independently discovered evolution by natural selection in Southeast Asia. This book is based on the most thorough research ever conducted on Wallace's voyage. Closely connected, but worlds apart, Darwin and Wallace's stories hold many surprises. Did Darwin really keep his theory a secret for twenty years? Did he plagiarise Wallace? Were their theories really the same? How did Wallace hit on the solution, and on which island? This book reveals for the first time the true story of Darwin, Wallace and the discovery that would change our understanding of life on Earth forever. Sample Chapter(s) Introduction (247 KB) Chapter 1: Great Expectations (6,496 KB) Contents:IntroductionGreat ExpectationsEmpires of SteamSingaporeMalacca and BorneoTesting the WatersCrossing the LineIn Search of ParadiseStruggle and SpiceThe Longest DayDarwin's DelayCrossing BackCounting Up Readership: Student, professional, general public. Keywords:Evolution;Natural Selection;Biology;Biography;Alfred Russel Wallace;Charles Darwin;History of Science;Malay ArchipelagoKey Features:The book provides a thorough revision of Wallace in Southeast Asia and his discoveries. Numerous current understandings of Wallace are shown to be mythsThe book reveals the details of Wallace's steamer trip to AsiaHis Singapore stay is revealed for the first time — with many surprising new detailsHis famous Sarawak law paper is shown to be radically different from existing interpretationsIt includes a previously unknown component of his theorising — Wallace's deep lawThe book solves the mystery of what led to Wallace's eureka moment of discovering natural selectionThe book solves the long-standing mystery of whether he discovered evolution on Ternate or GiloloThe book is the first to show what Wallace's original evolution theory really was — it was rather different from Darwin's. This settles the old debate about the differences between the theories of Wallace and DarwinThe book solves the old mystery of when Wallace sent his theory to Darwin — and WHY he did not send it straight for publicationThe book corrects scores of dates and names never given or given wrong by WallaceReviews: “The story of Wallace will never be the same again. John van Wyhe has delved deeply into archives and brings Wallace's travels wonderfully back to life by discovering new facts about his voyage and theories. Without downplaying the impact of Darwin, van Wyhe's book reveals Wallace as a great evolutionary thinker in his own right, who truly deserves to be considered in context.” Janet Browne Aramont Professor of the History of Science Harvard University “This book greatly advances our knowledge of Wallace by correcting a plethora of misleading myths, by reconstructing Wallace's travels, experiences and reflections with authoritative precision, interpretive sophistication, archival documentation and by insightful clarifications of Wallace and Darwin's interactions, divergences and convergences. The overall result is a major scholarly contribution to the intellectual and social history of Wallacean science and of Darwinian science in their original, distinctive cultural contexts.” Jonathan Hodge Honorary Fellow, History and Philosophy of Science University of Leeds “The first published notebook of Wallace's travel to the Malay Archipelago is a long-awaited addition to all the biographies and studies, as they offer the unique insight into the development of Wallace's thinking during his long journey. John van Wyhe makes extensive use of Wallace's notes, but only in their totality they make an impact and give way to emergence of Wallace's personality in many sides.” Thomas Weber Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung “Van Wyhe is not guilty of any such bias against Wallace and in fact deserves these reviewers' thanks for elucidating for the first time exactly how these two fascinating men discovered the way life on Earth evolves.” Gordon Chancellor, author of The Dispersal of Darwin “The book has marvelous illustrations of the flora and fauna observed by Wallace, as well as other images of the period, and is ideal for historian as well as naturalists.” CHOICE “This book is certainly one of the best resources for documenting Wallace's time in the Malay archipelago, as well as giving a good and balanced overview of his life. It also achieves what the author sets out to do: putting the record straight.” Biological Journal of the Linnean Society