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Alfred Russel Wallace

Born

in Llanbadoc, Wales, The United Kingdom

January 08, 1823

Died

November 07, 1913

Genre

Science

Influences

Robert Chambers, Charles Darwin, Jean-Baptiste Lamarck, Geoffroy Saint ...more

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Alfred Russel Wallace, OM, FRS was a British naturalist, explorer, geographer, anthropologist and biologist. He is best known for independently proposing a theory of natural selection which prompted Charles Darwin to publish his own theory.

Wallace did extensive fieldwork, first in the Amazon River basin and then in the Malay Archipelago, where he identified the Wallace Line that divides Indonesia into two distinct parts, one in which animals closely related to those of Australia are common, and one in which the species are largely of Asian origin. He was considered the 19th century's leading expert on the geographical distribution of animal species and is sometimes called the "father of biogeography". Wallace was one of the leading evolutio Alfred Russel Wallace, OM, FRS was a British naturalist, explorer, geographer, anthropologist and biologist. He is best known for independently proposing a theory of natural selection which prompted Charles Darwin to publish his own theory.

Wallace did extensive fieldwork, first in the Amazon River basin and then in the Malay Archipelago, where he identified the Wallace Line that divides Indonesia into two distinct parts, one in which animals closely related to those of Australia are common, and one in which the species are largely of Asian origin. He was considered the 19th century's leading expert on the geographical distribution of animal species and is sometimes called the "father of biogeography". Wallace was one of the leading evolutionary thinkers of the 19th century and made a number of other contributions to the development of evolutionary theory besides being co-discoverer of natural selection. These included the concept of warning colouration in animals, and the Wallace effect, a hypothesis on how natural selection could contribute to speciation by encouraging the development of barriers against hybridization.

Wallace was strongly attracted to unconventional ideas. His advocacy of Spiritualism and his belief in a non-material origin for the higher mental faculties of humans strained his relationship with the scientific establishment, especially with other early proponents of evolution. In addition to his scientific work, he was a social activist who was critical of what he considered to be an unjust social and economic system in 19th-century Britain. His interest in biogeography resulted in his being one of the first prominent scientists to raise concerns over the environmental impact of human activity. Wallace was a prolific author who wrote on both scientific and social issues; his account of his adventures and observations during his explorations in Indonesia and Malaysia, The Malay Archipelago, was one of the most popular and influential journals of scientific exploration published during the 19th century.

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Combine Editions
Alfred Russel Wallace’s books

Average rating: 4.03 · 1,703 ratings · 209 reviews · 584 distinct works • Similar authors

	The Malay Archipelago 4.19 avg rating — 1,017 ratings — published 1869 — 226 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Borneo, Celebes, Aru 3.41 avg rating — 139 ratings — published 1869 — 5 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Malay Archipelago, the land of the orang-utan and the bird of paradise; a narrative of travel, with studies of man and nature - Volume 2 3.93 avg rating — 81 ratings — published 1869 — 63 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Malay Archipelago, Volume 1 4.10 avg rating — 50 ratings — published 1869 — 65 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Is Mars Habitable? A Critical Examination of Professor Percival Lowell's Book Mars and its Canals, with an Alternative Explanation 3.46 avg rating — 59 ratings — published 1907 — 72 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	A Narrative Of Travels On The Amazon And Rio Negro: With An Account Of The Native Tribes, And Observations On The Climate, Geology And Natural History Of The Amazon Valley 4.22 avg rating — 46 ratings — published 1889 — 75 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Darwinism 3.76 avg rating — 42 ratings — published 1889 — 151 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Island Life (Great Minds Series) by Alfred Russel Wallace, H. James Birx (Introduction) 4.45 avg rating — 29 ratings — published 1880 — 106 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Infinite Tropics: An Alfred Russel Wallace Anthology by Alfred Russel Wallace, Stephen Jay Gould (Preface), Andrew Berry (Editor) 4.06 avg rating — 31 ratings — published 2002 — 5 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Contributions to the Theory of Natural Selection A Series of Essays 3.86 avg rating — 22 ratings — published 2005 — 107 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

More books by Alfred Russel Wallace…

Series by Alfred Russel Wallace

The Malay Archipelago (3 books)
by

Alfred Russel Wallace,

Peter Simons (Introduction)

4.17 avg rating — 1,148 ratings

Quotes by Alfred Russel Wallace (?)

“{Letter to his brother, 1861}

... I remain an utter disbeliever in almost all that you consider the most sacred truths... But whether there be a God and whatever be His nature; whether we have an immortal soul or not, or whatever may be our state after death, I can have no fear of having to suffer for the study of nature and the search for truth, or believe that those will be better off in a future state who have lived in the belief of doctrines inculcated from childhood, and which are to them rather a matter of blind faith than intelligent conviction.”
― Alfred Russel Wallace, Letters and Reminiscences 1

tags: blind-faith, brainwash, contemptible, conviction, disbeliever, evidence, fear, inculcate, nature, sceptics, science, study, truth

15 likes

“[I]t is indisputably the mediocre, if not the low, both as regards morality and intelligence, who succeed in life and multiply the fastest.”
― Alfred Russel Wallace

tags: elitism, social-darwinism

14 likes

“Truth is born into this world only with pangs and tribulations, and every fresh truth is received unwillingly.”
― Alfred Russel Wallace

tags: brilliant-minds, genius, insight, knowledge, meaning, misunderstood, sad-truth, truth

14 likes

See all Alfred Russel Wallace's quotes »

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