He was also awarded honorary doctorates from the Universities of Dublin (1882) and Oxford (1889) and won election to the Royal Society (1893). Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). About the Wallace Website - the official website of the Wallace Memorial Fund. Here Wallace read treatises and attended lectures by Robert Owen and his son Robert Dale Owen that formed the basis of his religious skepticism and his reformist and socialist political philosophy. Wallace returned to England in 1862 an established natural scientist and geographer, as well as a collector of more than 125,000 animal specimens. He was, however, a scientific superstar in his own right. He married Annie Mitten (1848–1914), with whom he raised three children (Herbert died at age 4, whereas Violet and William survived their father), published a highly successful narrative of his journey, The Malay Archipelago: The Land of the Orang-Utan, and the Bird of Paradise (1869), and wrote Contributions to the Theory of Natural Selection (1870). Alfred Russel Wallace (1823 - 1913) was a British naturalist, explorer, geographer, anthropologist and biologist. British naturalist, Alfred Wallace co-developed the theory of natural selection and evolution with Charles Darwin, who is most often credited with the idea. Wallace’s wide-ranging interests—from socialism to spiritualism, from island biogeography to life on Mars, from evolution to land nationalization—stemmed from his profound concern with the moral, social, and political values of human life. He was the eighth of nine children, born into a middle-class family. If no button appears, you cannot download or save the media. Wallace’s team and the ship’s crew spent 10 days adrift before being picked up by a passing ship, and all of Wallace’s notes and samples were lost at sea. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. Wallace, (born January 8, 1823, Usk, Monmouthshire, Wales—died November 7, 1913, Broadstone, Dorset, England), British humanist, naturalist, geographer, and social critic. Alfred Russel Wallace (1823 - 1913) was a British naturalist, explorer, geographer, anthropologist and biologist. Alfred Russel Wallace's family had a rich heritage with the reputed Scottish warrior, William Wallace believed to be a forebear of their lineage.Alfred was born on 8th January 1823 in Welsh district of Llanbadoc. Any interactives on this page can only be played while you are visiting our website. The pressure of population growth Interestingly, Darwin and Wallace found their inspiration in economics. Alfred Russel Wallace’s formal education was limited to six years at a one-room grammar school in Hertford, England. Wallace’s Line, as it was later named, runs from the Indian Ocean to the Philippine Sea. Jeanna Sullivan, National Geographic Society, Sarah Appleton, National Geographic Society As a surveyor, Wallace spent a great deal of time outdoors, both for work and pleasure. Wallace’s research on the geographic distribution of animals among the islands of the Malay Archipelago provided crucial evidence for his evolutionary theories and led him to devise what soon became known as the Wallace Line, the boundary that separates the fauna of Australia from that of Asia. Photograph courtesy of Biophoto Associates/Science Source. When surveying work could not be found as a result of violent uprisings by the Welsh farmers, Wallace spent a year (1844) teaching at a boys’ school, the Collegiate School in Leicester, Leicestershire, England. Alfred Russel Wallace, OM, FRS (Usk, País de Gales, 8 de janeiro de 1823 — Broadstone, Dorset, Inglaterra, 7 de novembro de 1913) foi um naturalista, geógrafo, antropólogo e biólogo britânico. animal with hair that gives birth to live offspring. Wallace spent eight years in the Malay Archipelago, from 1854 to 1862, traveling among the islands, collecting biological specimens for his own research and for sale, and writing scores of scientific articles on mostly zoological subjects. Like fellow naturalist and colleague Charles Darwin, Wallace traveled the world, observing and collecting samples of species. His research on the geographic distribution of animals provided critical support for his evolutionary theories and led him to draw a boundary line through Southeast Asia that divides Asian and Australian animal groups. New tax laws (Tithe Commutation Act, 1836) and the division of public land among landowners (General Enclosures Act, 1845) created a demand for accurate surveys and maps of farmlands, public lands, and parishes, as surveys and maps made according to regulations were legal documents in executing these laws. Alfred Russel Wallace Biography, Life, Interesting Facts. However, what he is best known for is his work on the theory of natural selection. However, he could not explain how or why they evolve. About. Alfred Russel Wallace, eminent naturalist and codiscoverer of the principle of natural selection, was a major participant in the antivaccination campaigns in late 19th-century England. In 1859, Darwin published his book On the Origin of Species, which presented his theory of natural selection to a broader audience. His income was limited to earnings from his writings, from grading school exams (which he did for some 25 years), and from a small inheritance from a relative. The theory of evolution by natural selection became known as Darwin’s theory. In early 1858 he sent a paper outlining these ideas to Darwin, who saw such a striking coincidence to his own theory that he consulted his closest colleagues, the geologist Charles Lyell and the botanist Joseph Dalton Hooker. Wallace published 21 books, and the list of his articles, essays, and letters in periodicals contains more than 700 items. The project is directed by John van Wyhe, assisted by Kees Rookmaaker, at the National University of Singapore, with assistance from the Wallace Page by Charles H. Smith. For approximately 8 of the next 10 years, Wallace surveyed and mapped in Bedfordshire and then in Wales. In addition to his major scientific works, Wallace actively pursued a variety of social and political interests. Es la tierra que Alfred Russel Wallace exploró durante ocho años, desde 1854 hasta 1862. Though the family was regarded as a middle-class, they were just able to meet the necessities of life. His lack of enthusiasm for organized religion became more pronounced when he was exposed to secular teachings at a London mechanics’ institute, the “Hall of Science” off Tottenham Court Road. He traveled to Brazil and various islands of the Malay Archipelago that make up modern-day Indonesia and the Philippines, where he collected thousands of specimens of insects, birds, and other animals. Except for one shipment of specimens sent to his agent in London, however, most of Wallace’s collections were lost on his voyage home when his ship went up in flames and sank. by Charles Darwin and Alfred Russell Wallace were the concepts of variation and natural selection. Faculty Associate, Department of the History of Science, University of Wisconsin. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Intelligent Evolution: How Alfred Russel Wallace's World of Life Challenged Darwinism by Michael A. Flannery , Alfred Russel Wallace , et al. In writings and public appearances he opposed vaccination, eugenics, and vivisection while strongly supporting women’s rights and land nationalization. Wallace combined social reformism and quantitative arguments to undermine the claims of provaccinationists and had a major impact on the debate. person who studies the natural history or natural development of organisms and the environment. He became a public figure in England during the second half of the 19th century, known for his courageous views on scientific, social, and spiritualist subjects. If you have questions about licensing content on this page, please contact ngimagecollection@natgeo.com for more information and to obtain a license. Alfred Russel Wallace was born in Wales in 1823. Biology, Earth Science, Geography, Physical Geography. If you have questions about how to cite anything on our website in your project or classroom presentation, please contact your teacher. person who studies places and the relationships between people and their environments. In 1881 he was added to the Civil List, thanks largely to the efforts of Darwin and T.H. Natural selection explains how genetic traits of a species may change over time. Alfred Russel Wallace was born near the English/Welsh border town of Usk on January 8, 1823 to Mary Ann and Thomas Vere Wallace. 108 talking about this. By George Beccaloni"...the main object of all my journeys was to obtain specimens of natural history, both for my private collection and to supply duplicates to museums and amateurs..." (The Malay Archipelago.Wallace, 1869). Alfred Russel Wallace (1823-1913) was a man of many talents - an explorer, collector, naturalist, geographer, anthropologist and political commentator. Join our community of educators and receive the latest information on National Geographic's resources for you and your students. Alfred Russel Wallace, byname A.R. Alfred Russel Wallace, British humanist, naturalist, geographer, and social critic. Alfred Russel Wallace OM (* 8. He later worked as a surveyor. Alfred Russel Wallace OM, FRS (8 January 1823 – 7 November 1913) was a British naturalist, explorer, biologist and social activist.He is best known for proposing a theory of natural selection.This was published in 1858 together with Charles Darwin's idea.. Wallace did extensive natural history exploring. Wracked with a fever, he suffered hallucinations, but when the fever broke, the answer came to him—species evolve by adapting to their environment! Alfred Russel Wallace was born on 8 January 1823, in a cottage on the banks of the river Usk, half a mile or so from the town of Usk, in Monmouthshire, on a road that led to the village of Llanbadoc. He died in 1913 at the age of 90. to adjust to new surroundings or a new situation. The Wallace family moved several times, from Inner London to the outer borough of Barking, to Grays in Essex, and then south to Dorking, Surrey, to the outer borough of Croydon, to Godalming, Surrey, then to Parkstone and finally Broadstone, both in Dorset. Female mammals produce milk to feed their offspring. However, what he is best known for is his work on the theory of natural selection. Alfred Russel Wallace is far from a household name, but he changed the world. Alfred Russel Wallace’s ideas regarding the origin of species paralleled those of Charles Darwin at the same time in history. The audio, illustrations, photos, and videos are credited beneath the media asset, except for promotional images, which generally link to another page that contains the media credit. Wallace received several awards, including the Royal Society of London’s Royal Medal (1868), Darwin Medal (1890; for his independent origination of the origin of species by natural selection), Copley Medal (1908), and Order of Merit (1908); the Linnean Society of London’s Gold Medal (1892) and Darwin-Wallace Medal (1908); and the Royal Geographical Society’s Founder’s Medal (1892). British naturalist, born at Usk, in Monmouthshire, on the 8th of January 1823. When you reach out to him or her, you will need the page title, URL, and the date you accessed the resource. All rights reserved. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. The Rights Holder for media is the person or group credited. Although he applied for several jobs, Wallace never held a permanent position. Alfred Russel Wallace was a naturalist who independently proposed the theory of evolution by natural selection. Gina Borgia, National Geographic Society Sein offizielles botanisches Autorenkürzel lautet „Wallace“. But in the mid-1800s, Darwin and the British biologist Alfred Russel Wallace independently conceived of a natural, even observable, way for life to change: a process Darwin called natural selection. Washington, DC 20036, National Geographic Society is a 501 (c)(3) organization. Foremost among these commitments was an increasing engagement with spiritualism in his personal and public capacities. He has been described variously as a naturalist, a geographer, and a social critic. From these he published several scientific articles, two books (Palm Trees of the Amazon and Their Uses and Narrative of Travels on the Amazon and Rio Negro, both 1853), and a map depicting the course of the Negro River. For the ninth edition of Encyclopædia Britannica (1875–89), he wrote the article “Acclimatisation” (adaptation) and the animal life section of the article “Distribution.” He also lectured in the British Isles and in the United States and traveled on the European continent. Huxley. Alfred Russel Wallace was born in Wales in 1823. The first of these, published in 1855, concluded with the assertion that “every species has come into existence coincident both in space and time with a pre-existing closely allied species.” Wallace then proposed that new species arise by the progression and continued divergence of varieties that outlive the parent species in the struggle for existence. His formulation of the theory of evolution by natural selection, which predated Charles Darwin’s published contributions, is his outstanding legacy, but it was just one of many controversial issues he studied and wrote about during his lifetime. Omissions? In 1858, he sent Darwin a letter outlining his ideas about evolution. Wallace Online is the first complete edition of the writings of Alfred Russel Wallace, including the first compilation of his specimens and the only way to search all of his publications with a powerful search engine. Then, in 1858, while still in Southeast Asia, he became ill again. He became known for his views on scientific, social, and spiritualist subjects. Alfred Russel Wallace, who died 100 years ago, on November 7 1913, is most often remembered as a kind of ‘Darwin satellite’: the other discoverer of evolution by natural selection. Welcome to Version Two of The Alfred Russel Wallace Page, a website dedicated to celebrating the life and work of the English naturalist, evolutionist, and social critic Alfred Russel Wallace (1823-1913)! In this feature, Andrew Berry examines Wallace’s life. a group of closely scattered islands in a large body of water. Nevertheless, he managed to save some of his notes before his rescue and return journey. He studied the languages and habits of the peoples he encountered; he collected butterflies, other insects, and birds; and he searched for clues to solve the mystery of the origin of plant and animal species. What touched those who knew him was his compassion, his humanness and sympathy, and his lack of pretense or acquired pride. Privacy Notice |  You cannot download interactives. Alfred Russel Wallace has 142 books on Goodreads with 5568 ratings. Select from these resources to teach your classroom about this subfield of evolutionary biology. Januar 1823 in Usk, Monmouthshire in Wales; † 7. After his brother William died in early 1845, Wallace worked in London and Wales, saw to his brother’s business, surveyed for a proposed railway line, and built a mechanics’ institute at Neath, Wales, with his brother John. Wallace’s parents belonged to the Church of England, and as a child Wallace attended services. This site is dedicated to the life and work of Alfred Russel Wallace (1823 - 1913), one of the greatest scientists of all time. Several mammal, bird, and fish species are found in abundance on one side of the line and only in small numbers, or not at all, on the other side. Sustainability Policy |  Most famously, he had the revolutionary idea of evolution by natural selection entirely independently of Charles Darwin. process by which organisms that are better -adapted to their environments produce more offspring to transmit their genetic characteristics. He even weighed in on the debate as to whether or not life could exist on Mars. His seminal contributions to biology rival those of his friend and colleague Charles Darwin, though he is far less well known. Hereditary variants were thought to arise naturally in populations, and then these were either selected for or against by the contemporary environmental conditions. A commemorative medallion in his honour was unveiled at Westminster Abbey in 1915. Wallace knew Darwin was working on similar research. Alfred Russel Wallace was born on January 8, 1823, in his family home of Kensington House in Usk, Monmouthshire, Wales. He was keenly intellectual but no less spiritual, a distinguished scientist and a spokesman for unpopular causes, a gifted naturalist who never lost his boyish enthusiasm for nature, a prolific and lucid writer, a committed socialist, a seeker of truth, and a domestic, modest individual. The theory of evolution is a shortened form of the term “theory of evolution by natural selection,” which was proposed by Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace in the nineteenth century. Although his education was curtailed by the family’s worsening financial situation, his home was a rich source of books, maps, and gardening activities, which Wallace remembered as enduring sources of learning and pleasure. He has been described variously as a naturalist, a geographer, and a social critic. Inspired by reading about organic evolution in Robert Chambers’s controversial Vestiges of the Natural History of Creation (1844), unemployed, and ardent in his love of nature, Wallace and his naturalist friend Henry Walter Bates, who had introduced Wallace to entomology four years earlier, traveled to Brazil in 1848 as self-employed specimen collectors. During that time, he gathered over 125,000 specimens. It signifies the unexpected distribution of animals on either side of the line. In … The two collaborated on a scientific paper, discussing their evidence for natural selection and evolution. 30 talking about this. But 26 days into their voyage home, his ship caught fire and sank in the Atlantic. © 1996 - 2021 National Geographic Society. He also read works and attended lectures on phrenology and mesmerism, forming an interest in nonmaterial mental phenomena that grew increasingly prominent later in his life. In the latter volume and in several articles from this period on human evolution and spiritualism, Wallace parted from the scientific naturalism of many of his friends and colleagues in claiming that natural selection could not account for the higher faculties of human beings. Living in London with his brother John, an apprentice carpenter, the 14-year-old Wallace became familiar with the lives of tradesmen and labourers, and he shared in their efforts at self-education. Charles Darwin and his observations while aboard the HMS Beagle, changed the understanding of evolution on Earth. When most of us think about natural selection, we attribute that theory to naturalist Charles Darwin. Despite this setback, Wallace set off on another voyage in 1854 to Southeast Asia to collect more samples. Co-Discovered Theory of Evolution. The two young men amicably parted ways after several joint collecting ventures; Bates spent 11 years in the region, while Wallace spent a total of four years traveling, collecting, mapping, drawing, and writing in unexplored regions of the Amazon River basin. His paper detailing the natural selection mechanism was published together with writings by Charles Darwin in 1858, setting the basis for our … 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. Though Wallace’s contributions to the study of evolution were considerable, they are often forgotten. Alfred Russel Wallace. His formal education was limited to six years at the one-room Hertford Grammar School. 1145 17th Street NW Wallace died in his 91st year and was buried in Broadstone, to be joined there by his widow the following year. Code of Ethics. Yet his career eludes simple description or honorifics. Wallace died 100 years ago this year. Alfred Russel Wallace’s most popular book is The Malay Archipelago. In 1837 Wallace became an apprentice in the surveying business of his eldest brother, William. 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. individual organism that is a typical example of its classification. Terms of Service |  He is best known for independently proposing a theory of natural selection which prompted Charles Darwin to publish his own theory. Updates? The eighth of nine children born to Thomas Vere Wallace and Mary Anne Greenell, Alfred Russel Wallace grew up in modest circumstances in rural Wales and then in Hertford, Hertfordshire, England. He lived among farmers and artisans and saw the injustices suffered by the poor as a result of the new laws. His formulation of the theory of evolution by natural selection, which predated Charles Darwin’s published contributions, is his outstanding legacy. 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. | Aug 12, 2020 4.3 out of 5 stars 7 EARLY COLLECTIONS (1841 - 1847) Wallace started to collect natural history specimens, plants in particular, in 1841 whilst he was living near Neath in Wales. The theory of natural selection was explored by 19th-century naturalist Charles Darwin. Alfred Russel Wallace was a key contributor to the theory of evolution and the theory of natural selection. Michael Flannery is Professor and Associate Director for Historical Collections at the Lister Hill Library of the Health Sciences, University of Alabama, Birmingham, Alabama in the U.S.A. By 1855, his observations led him to the conclusion that living things change over long periods of time—they evolve. Please select which sections you would like to print: While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Alfred Russel Wallace discovered the concept of evolution by natural selection. Alfred Russel Wallace visited Sumatra only once and stayed a relatively short time, from November 1861 to January 1862, which is perhaps surprising given that the island is massive (more than double the area of Great Britain) with, at that time, vast swathes of barely explored rain forest. Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. McKinney ('Alfred Russel Wallace,' D.S.B., 14, p. 137) interprets this passage as possibly signifying a pre-1864 religious conversion on Wallace's part, but I feel it is probably better to regard it as a simple re-statement of a philosophical position he had adopted much earlier.