The work of Darwin and WallaceSpec 4.1B
The theory of evolution by natural selection was developed by two scientists working separately: Charles Darwin and Alfred Wallace.
Charles Darwin
- Darwin collected observations and specimens on a long sea voyage, including studying plants and animals in different places.
- He noticed that individuals of the same species show variation, and that organisms in different places are suited to their different environments.
- He spent many years collecting evidence and developing his ideas before publishing them in his book On the Origin of Species in 1859.
Alfred Wallace
- Wallace independently developed a very similar theory of evolution by natural selection.
- His ideas were based on his own observations and collections of plants and animals in different parts of the world.
- His work encouraged Darwin to publish, and the two men's ideas were presented together.
Impact on modern biology
- Natural selection gave a unifying explanation for the huge diversity of living things and how species are related.
- When combined with later knowledge of genes, it explains how variation arises (through mutation) and how characteristics are inherited.
- It helps us understand the emergence of resistant organisms, such as antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
- It supports the idea that living things can be classified according to how they are related.