Contributions to the Theory of Natural Selection

Contributions to the Theory of Natural Selection gathers the key essays of Alfred Russel Wallace, the naturalist who arrived at the theory of evolution by natural selection independently of Charles Darwin. Published in 1870, the collection includes the famous 1858 paper that Wallace sent to Darwin from the Malay Archipelago, the shock of which spurred Darwin to publish On the Origin of Species. Here Wallace lays out how varieties depart from the original type, how mimicry and protective colouring arise in animals, and how far the theory applies to the human race. Written with the clarity of a working field naturalist, it is a foundational document of modern biology. This free PDF and EPUB presents the complete work.