Alfred Russel Wallace

Human Selection Alfred Russel Wallace

This early work by Alfred Russel Wallace was originally published in 1890 and we are now republishing it with a brand new introductory biography. 'Human Selection' is an essay on the future of human evolution in relation to Darwin's suggestion that natural selection was having a reduced or non-existent effect on modern humanity. Alfred Russel Wallace was born on 8th January 1823 in the village of Llanbadoc, in Monmouthshire, Wales. Wallace was inspired by the travelling naturalists of the day and decided to begin his exploration career collecting specimens in the Amazon rainforest. He explored the Rio Negra for four years, making notes on the peoples and languages he encountered as well as the geography, flora, and fauna. While travelling, Wallace refined his thoughts about evolution and in 1858 he outlined his theory of natural selection in an article he sent to Charles Darwin. Wallace made a huge contribution to the natural sciences and he will continue to be remembered as one of the key figures in the development of evolutionary theory.