Alfred Russel Wallace and Natural Selection

What initially sparked Alfred Russel Wallace's interest in natural history?

• His brother's extensive beetle collection

• Surveying the British countryside with his brother

• A scientific expedition to Brazil

• Reading Charles Darwin's early manuscripts

What catastrophic event occurred during Alfred Russel Wallace's return journey from the Amazon, leading to the loss of his collected specimens?

• His ship was caught in a severe hurricane and capsized.

• He contracted a debilitating tropical disease that forced him to abandon his work.

• His ship caught fire in the Atlantic Ocean, destroying all his collections.

• He was robbed by pirates who stole all his scientific findings.

While recovering from malaria in the Malay Archipelago, what fundamental principle did Alfred Russel Wallace realize about the natural world?

• Species remain static and unchanging over generations.

• Evolution is driven by random genetic mutations alone.

• Species change over time due to a constant struggle for finite resources.

• Organisms acquire traits during their lifetime and pass them to offspring.

How did Charles Darwin react when he received Alfred Russel Wallace's essay outlining the theory of natural selection?

• He was indifferent, as he had already published his own work.

• He was shocked because it mirrored his own unpublished theory.

• He immediately recognized Wallace's genius and offered him full credit.

• He found it interesting but ultimately flawed in its conclusions.