The Other Darwin: Alfred Russel Wallace and the Origin of Species

Against all odds — lacking wealth, formal education, social standing or connections, Alfred Russel Wallace became the pre-eminent tropical explorer of his day, founding one entirely new discipline — evolutionary biogeography — and, with Darwin, co-founding another: evolutionary biology.



With the 2023 centennial year of his birth approaching, join us as we trace the epic trajectory of Wallace's life and thinking, from his meteoric rise in the 19th century to his virtual eclipse in the 20th. Along the way we'll explore the ups and downs of Wallace's relationship with Darwin, and critically evaluate the 'conspiracy theories' that Wallace was wronged by Darwin and his circle over credit for the discovery of natural selection.