Alfred Russel Wallace and his contributions to evolutionary theory

Alfred Russel Wallace (1823-1913) was active in a number of scientific fields, which indicates a wide range of interests and expertise. Wallace is described as an "...English naturalist, evolutionist, geographer, anthropologist, and social critic and theorist" (Alfred Russel Wallace: A Capsule Biography). He is also often described as an 'outsider' with regard to the formal and accepted scientific community and this is often seen as a reason for his relative anonymity today - despite the fact that he was largely responsible for the idea of natural selection that was to lead to Darwin's theory of evolution. As one critic notes, Alfred Russel Wallace, was, "...the man who independently hit upon the idea of natural selection, and thereby prompted Charles Darwin to go public with his own version of the theory" (Gribbin, 2001).

This raises the question of why he has received so little acclaim after his death and why he is not very well-known today. Part of the answer to this question possibly lies in his biography and the fact that, unlike Darwin, he was not part of the privileged class of the society of the time and did not come from a wealthy background. He came from a family that was relatively poor and he spent much of his younger years learning and practicing various trades; for example, in 1839 he was apprenticed as a watchmaker for a time (Alfred Russel Wallace: A Capsule Biography). However, these trades allowed him to develop skills that would prove to be useful in his future development as a scientist and naturalist. "... he picked up a number of trades-related skills and knowledge, particularly in drafting and map-making, geometry and trigonometry, building design and construction, mechanics, and agricultural chemistry" (Alfred Russel Wallace: A Capsule Biography).

The central point that is being made is that Wallace did not enter into the world of science through the ordinary and conventional avenues. This was to result in the fact that he became a scientist who was not tied to the normative and rigid conventions of the time. While to a certain extent this relegated him to the periphery of the formal scientific community, the argument could also be made that this fact made him a much better scientist in that his vision or view of scientific reality was more open-ended and not determined by any slavish adherence to conventional scientific norms. For example, his background and eclectic knowledge led him to develop an interest and expertise in botany, geology, and astronomy.

It was his wide-ranging knowledge of geology and the natural sciences that led him to realize the possibilities of natural selection. Wallace recognized "...how he might go about demonstrating that evolution did in fact take place: by tracing out, over time and space, the geographical/geological records of individual phylogenies" (Alfred Russel Wallace: A Capsule Biography).

However, while his unconventional brilliance and insight was to lead to the discovery of natural selection which played an important part in the Darwinian theory of evolution, yet it is also clear from the biographies on his life that, "Wallace's lack of education, social connections or personal wealth meant he operated only on the fringes of the scientific community" (Alfred Russel Wallace: Essential Background Information).

Despite this factor, while working in the remote Amazon region, Wallace wrote his first major scientific publication in 1855, which became known as the Sarawak Law (Alfred Russel Wallace: Essential Background Information). This work was in effect to establish the foundational scientific theory of the origins of the species, which was instrumental in development of the theory of evolution. However, due to his image of a Victorian adventure and pseudo-scientist in the eyes of the academic community he was referred to as a "...mere fly-catcher..." (Alfred Russel Wallace: Essential Background Information).

On the other hand one should also note that the term outsider cannot entirely and in all instances be applied to Wallace. While he certainly was outside accepted scientific circles to a great degree, he was also recognized during his time for many of his works and scientific contributions. As one commentator notes: "....during his lifetime (which lasted until 1913) he received many honours and attained a high profile..." (Gribbin, 2001). At the same time what has to be taken into account in an evaluation of his contribution to science is that he was interested in subjects and areas there considered be esoteric were during that period and strictly outside the accepted the range and parameters of formal science - such as his well-known interest in spiritualism. These interests and beliefs "...detracted from his standing as a scientist" (Gribbin, 2001).