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(More customer reviews)Alfred Russel Wallace (1823 - 1913) truly is a forgotten giant who independently, in 1855, concluded and published (4 years before Darwin's "Origin of Species") the first Theory of Natural Selection that would be popularized by Charles Darwin 4 years later. Darwin's contributions were not new or unique since others had come up with similar conclusions and ideas already (Lamarck, Lyell, Wallace).
Wallace concluded via geological evidence and geographical distribution of animals, that gradual evolution occurred in long epochs accounting for the origin of all species. This constituted an evolutionary theory that Charles Darwin would eventually arrive at and match. Wallace did not use the term "natural selection" initially, but later on used it too once Darwin came in the picture. Wallace's view is slightly different than Darwin's view in that Darwin saw evolution as just a "process" theory and Wallace saw evolution as a Law of Nature in the same way as Gravitation was seen as a Law at that time. In that sense Wallace was more hardcore in his view of evolution than Darwin was.
This collection of essays are really important since they carry Wallace's original 1855 work that first mentioned the view that would be later called "natural selection" and put pressure on Darwin to publish his views of gradual evolution in the The Origin Of Species: 150th Anniversary Edition in 1859, along with other essays that range from sexual selection to what can be called "intelligent evolution" and his view of a Supreme Intelligence or Intelligences that account for all natural laws that would eventually create other species independent of the Supreme Intelligence.
Here are the essay titles with topics mentioned and discussed by Alfred Russel Wallace in these monumental and forgotten essays (the first essay is worth the money for buying the book since it is the 1855 paper on gradual evolution) :
1. "On the Law which has Regulated the Introduction of New Species"
This is Wallace's 1855 paper published in "Annals and Magazine of Natural History" where he sets up a theory similar to Darwin's theory independent of Darwin that predates Darwin's theory by almost four years. The notes on this essay (not found in this book being reviewed) are found in Natural Selection and Tropical Nature: Essays on Descriptive and Theoretical Biology which has all of the essays in this collection of essays with notes and more, mentions the relationship of Wallace's early paper(s) to Darwin, in page 21, and Wallace's early and independent derivation of what would later be called "natural selection".
Here there is discussion on how Geology hints at diversification of the earth and so do species via geological epochs and geographic distribution of species; extinction and renewal of species; Wallace's core foundation for gradual evolution: Geological distribution of species (influenced by Lyell's (Principles of Geology, Volume 1, Principles of Geology, Volume 2, Principles of Geology, Volume 3) and Geographical distribution of species ; the Galapagos; his theory is of "gradual change" not "progression"; Wallace's used the analogy of a tree (like Darwin's Tree of Life) to represent how species emerged; older species have been more complex than current species, objections to Forbes' "Theory of Polarity" and assuming that the number of species on Earth in the past are not much less than the present number since extinctions and creations balance each other out at some point; "Rudimentary Organs" - vestigial organs and physiological imperfections; the Law that introduces new species is deduced necessarily like the Law of Elliptic Orbits of Planets or the Law of Gravitation
2. "On the Tendency of Varieties to Depart Indefinitely from the Original Type"
Addresses the "reversion of species to back to parent species" argument by population and number of offspring being more than 2 usually; adaption as a reason for rarity or abundance of a species; good variations increase, bad variations decrease; superior variations surpass and survive; Lamarck challenged (41)
3. "Mimicry and Other Protective Resemblances among Animals"
Theories on color and camouflage in animals; protection for animals other than color; one case of "intelligently designed" resemblance where design and intention is visible: flies that enter bee's nest (75); mimicry among insects, snakes, birds, mammals; objections to Bates' "Theory of Mimicry" and "Special Creation Theory" countered (109); sexual selection of female insects, birds; camouflage used to protect or to easily prey upon other creatures; "survival of the fittest" (125); color as "utility" by Darwin (127)
4. "The Malayan Papilionidae or Swallow Tailed Butterflies as Illustrative of the Theory of Natural Selection"
Lepidoptera or butter flies as evidence for speciation; "species" and "origin" are defined (142)' variation of six types: simple variability, polymorphism, local forms, co-existing varieties, races or subspecies, true species (143-166); natural selection may work independently from sexual selection (157); ambiguities of varieties and identification of speciation deduced by opinion; variation influenced by locality
5. "On Instinct in Man and Animals"
Organization in insects; "instinct" defined (204); man and instinct?; Wallace does not believe in the "Theory of Instinct"
6. "The Philosophy of Bird's Nests"
Birds building nests is not by instinct and men do not build by reason; men build according to necessity and resources; birds do the same with resources they encounter; birds in cages do not make the same nest as their species do in the wild; birds do not sing songs of their species, they sing and mimic the songs of whatever birds they hear; mainly men are the same in tribes and villages in that they imitate too; birds do alter and improve nesting when they find better equipment or the locations become dangerous
7. "A Theory of Bird's Nests"
Types of nests; the Law of sexual differences in color and nesting practices (240); sexual selection; exceptions to the Law in page 240
8. "Creation by Law"
Law of Multiplication in Geometrical Progression, Law of Limited Populations, Law of Heredity, Law of Variation, Law of Constant Physical Change of the Earth, the Equilibrium; Herbert Spencer's "Principles of Biology" (267); "self-regulating" natural laws alone can produce all creatures; a Creator could have made these laws; Darwin's metaphorical and teleological language causes misconceptions; examples of Geological adaptations by just general laws; the Theory of "Continual Interference" where the Creator intercedes is believed to actually limit the Creator's powers as a creative force and does not do justice to the Creator's power to create and design a self-diversifying creation (280); adaption MUST have the appearance of design (281); beauty in nature has advantages for reproduction purposes; Wallace argues that we should not assume the Creator's mind to be like our own in terms of our criterion for beauty and ugliness (284); Duke of Argyll's "Special Creation" view is countered; effects of breeding; variation has no limits; argument from "not enough time to cause much variation" addressed
9. "The Development of Human Races under the Law of Natural Selection"
Anthropologists say man is not recent but has existed 1,000 centuries ago; wide differences of opinion on Man's origin; anthropological data from cultures races of humans; differences in natural selection in animals and man; extinction in lower forms of man; origins of races of man - man was a homogeneous race at some point; man's brain grew and this `mind' gave man supremacy nature; man has escaped and taken away power from natural selection (326); savage and civilized man have differences culturally, not physically; 1. By intellect man makes better technology and 2. By better moral feelings man is fit for a social state; man will still progress via natural selection both physically and mentally
10. "Limits of Natural Selection as Applied to Man"
(Intelligent Evolution) [Intelligently Designed Evolution in other words]
Not all nature can be explained by just natural principles (332-333); limits of natural selection; size of brain is key to higher species; man's brain compared to brain of apes; intellects of savages and animals compared; man's unhariyness, hands, feet voice, mental faculties, and moral sense are all insufficiently explained by natural selection; the origin and other views of origins of consciousness as not compatible with reality; the nature of matter; two forces: primary forces (Gravitation) and will-forces; the rise of the will; all force may be will-force from multiple Intelligences or one Supreme Intelligence ; will-force can be deduced from the facts from the sciences
Truly a remarkable collection of papers. Alfred Russel Wallace is a forgotten giant in evolutionary biology and is rarely mentioned in textbooks or anywhere really, but when he is is he is not emphasized much. It would be wise to read his contributions to the ideas for natural selection to see the whole picture of the Wallace - Darwinian Theory. Darwin was not unique in his synthesis and Wallace shows this in his works.
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This is a pre-1923 historical reproduction that was curated for quality. Quality assurance was conducted on each of these books in an attempt to remove books with imperfections introduced by the digitization process. Though we have made best efforts - the books may have occasional errors that do not impede the reading experience. We believe this work is culturally important and have elected to bring the book back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. This text refers to the Bibliobazaar edition.
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