Alfred Russel Wallace
Independently conceived the theory of evolution by natural selection and made significant contributions to biogeography.
Most quoted
"The action of this principle is exactly like that of the centrifugal governor of the steam engine, which checks and corrects any irregularities almost before they become evident; and in like manner no unbalanced deficiency in the animal kingdom can ever have continued to exist."
— from Letter to Charles Darwin, 1858
"The great superiority of the human intellect over that of the lower animals, and the fact that this superiority is not required by the conditions of savage life, seem to me to be an insuperable difficulty in the way of the theory of natural selection."
— from Contributions to the Theory of Natural Selection
"The general result of the study of the fossil remains of the extinct mammalia is to show that the forms most nearly allied to those now living were the latest, and that the more ancient forms differ more and more widely from the existing types."
— from Island Life, 1880
All quotes by Alfred Russel Wallace (406)
The highest possible stage in moral culture is when we recognize that we ought to control our thoughts.
The most extraordinary thing about man is his mind; it is the one thing we know of that seems to be outside the realm of matter.
The great drama of life is ever unfolding, and we are but the actors who play our parts and pass away.
The study of nature is an endless source of delight and wonder.
The future of humanity depends upon our ability to understand and cooperate with the laws of nature.
The earth is not a mere fragment of dead history, but a living pageant of life and change.
Contemporaries of Alfred Russel Wallace
Other Biologys born within 50 years of Alfred Russel Wallace (1823–1913).