RADICAL BY NATURE

A fresh portrait of one of the most important naturalists and explorers of the 19th century.

Most historians give Alfred Russel Wallace (1823-1913) equal credit for discovering natural selection, although he remains in Darwin’s shadow. This outstanding biography aims to change that. As Costa, a biology professor and author of Darwin’s Backyard, recounts, Wallace, not wealthy like Darwin, left school early to earn a living. Fascinated by natural history, he spent years collecting and reading before deciding to travel to Brazil, supporting himself by selling specimens. After four years and sending back thousands of specimens, he returned as a respected member of British scientific circles, winning support for research in the East Indies. Costa provides fascinating, highly detailed accounts of these expeditions, during which Wallace killed, skinned, preserved, packed, and shipped more than 100,000 specimens. Unlike many collectors, he paid them close attention, recording their behavior, distribution, and relationships to similar species and making groundbreaking discoveries in biogeography, sexual selection, and protective coloration. He sent home torrents of writing, including his famous letter proposing natural selection. This revelation devastated Darwin, who had mulled over the idea for two decades. Priority for a discovery goes to whomever announces it publicly, which Darwin failed to do. Unwilling to adopt the usual tactic—i.e., announce quickly and claim sole credit—he published Wallace’s paper together with his own early writing. Neither caused a stir, but Darwin immediately began writing On the Origin of Species. Wallace always gave Darwin full credit for natural selection, dedicated books to him, and carried on extensive correspondence. Aware of his money difficulties, Darwin and friends successfully lobbied for a government pension. All cringed after 1870 when Wallace took up spiritualism and claimed that only mysteriously creative forces, not natural selection, could produce the human brain. Although scandalized, they continued to respect his scientific talent, but this may have been the kiss of death for scholars, leading to his demotion from the Victorian pantheon.

A superb biographical rehabilitation of an indispensable natural scientist.