From The Wall Street Journal (December 20, 2008):
Alfred Russel Wallace’s Fans Gear Up for a Darwinian Struggle
Anniversary of ‘Origin of Species’ Nears; Rival Is Touted, Charges of Plagiarism
Anniversary of ‘Origin of Species’ Nears; Rival Is Touted, Charges of Plagiarism
By TOM WRIGHT
MAKASSAR, Indonesia — In January, Stanford University is conducting a $60,000-a-head journey around the world by private jet to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the publication of Charles Darwin’s “On the Origin of Species.” Taking in the Galapagos Islands and other sites of Mr. Darwin’s research, the trip is one of several big events planned world-wide to honor him as the father of evolutionary theory.
But a vocal group of revisionists — including a British cockroach expert, a former BBC journalist and a human-rights lawyer — say the spotlight should be on another man: Alfred Russel Wallace.
Mr. Wallace, a naturalist who spent many years collecting bird and insect specimens in the jungles of Indonesia, was famed in the Victorian era as the co-discoverer with Mr. Darwin of evolution by natural selection. But his reputation languished in the mid-20th century as scholars focused their attention on Mr. Darwin. More recently, several books have attempted to resuscitate Mr. Wallace’s name, and most mainstream scientists now regard him as the co-founder of modern evolutionary theory.
Hardcore Wallace backers say that isn’t good enough. In a new book, “The Darwin Conspiracy: Origins of a Scientific Crime,” Roy Davies, a former producer of science programs for the BBC, accuses Mr. Darwin of stealing ideas about evolution from Mr. Wallace — who was corresponding with him from Indonesia — and passing them off as his own. “Once you change the focus from Darwin to Wallace, you start to realize what a genius Wallace was,” Mr. Davies says.
Read the rest of the article, which features George Beccaloni of the Alfred Russel Wallace Memorial Fund, here.
