Darwin and Wallace on the theory of evolution

(First of two parts)

Charles Robert Darwin (1809-1882) and Alfred Russel Wallace (1823-1913) were British naturalists who simultaneously but independently came up with the theory of evolution based on “natural selection.” Both scientists developed their theories based on a large quantity of field observations on plant and animal specimens in two different geographical worlds. Darwin made his field observations at the South American coast with special focus on the Galapagos Islands in 1831-1836 and Alfred Wallace in Sarawak, Borneo, Sulawesi, and the island of Ternate in the Moluccas or Spice Islands, Indonesia.

It was from Ternate Island in Indonesia that Wallace sent his famous paper (dated February 1858) addressed to Darwin. It was entitled “On the Tendency of Varieties to Depart Indefinitely from the Original Type.” Wallace’s paper was a beautifully written scientific treatise, which defined the mechanism of the origin of new species. The paper made mention of the idea of the “survival of the fittest” as a result of natural selection. The paper was meant for publication in a prestigious journal but instead was scheduled for presentation at the forthcoming meeting of the Linnean Society in London.

Upon receipt of Wallace’s paper, Darwin was horrified to learn that it dwelt precisely on the same theory that he had been formulating for sometime. Darwin had spent considerable time of more than 20 years assembling his field notes and information and making refinements to buttress his theory on the origin of species. He agonized over the fact that his lifetime work faced imminent ruin. Charles Lyell, a famous geologist and a friend of Darwin, arranged that the independent works of the two scientists be presented. Darwin submitted two of his unpublished excerpts from his writings on the subject. The papers of Darwin and Wallace were read on July 1, 1858 at the Linnean Society meeting in London. Since then, both scientists have been acknowledged as the co-discoverers of the theory of evolution based on natural selection.

A year later in 1859, Darwin published his comprehensive book “On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection.” It was a bestseller. The formulation of the theory of natural selection was adopted from the ideas put forward by the economist Thomas Malthus that human populations tend to grow quickly and thereby overwhelm limited resources. Darwin used the same principle to explain that “favored races are preserved in the struggle for life.” It meant that natural selection ensures that more favorable traits of a species endure in successive generations.

Darwin’s second publication was on “The Descent of Man” in 1871, which speculated on the evolution of man from primate ancestors.

Darwin’s theories on evolution became a hot and highly controversial topic. It provoked outrage from the clergy and religious establishment whose faith is anchored on man’s divine creation. Even Darwin’s wife, a pious Anglican, experienced a spiritual dilemma on account of her husband’s radical and heretical views.

(To be concluded)

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Dr. Ricardo M. Lantican is a National Scientist and Professor Emeritus at UP Los Baños. His research on cytoplasmic inheritance of hypersensitivity to a disease in maize has created awareness among biologists of the importance of genetic diversity as a weapon against environmental adversities. Dr. Lantican’s efforts in plant breeding, more specifically in the development of varietal resistance and the improvement of plant structure and morphology, have paved the way for the release of outstanding varieties. These varieties are now being commercially grown by farmers in the Philippines, parts of Southeast Asia, East Asia and South Asia. The new plant structure developed in mungbean through his efforts and that of his team has resulted in doubling of yields. The plant types evolved in the Philippines were heavily used as parents in the breeding program of the Asian Vegetable Research and Development Center (AVRDC) in Taiwan. E-mail him at [email protected].