Who co-discovered the theory of natural selection alongside Charles Darwin?

The co-discovery of the theory of natural selection by Alfred Russel Wallace alongside Charles Darwin is significant in the history of evolutionary biology. Wallace independently formulated his ideas on natural selection after conducting extensive observations in the Amazon and the Malay Archipelago. He arrived at similar conclusions as Darwin regarding the mechanism of evolution, where environmental pressures influence which individuals survive and reproduce. This parallel thinking led to joint presentations of their work to the Linnean Society of London in 1858, establishing their reputations as founders of this fundamental theory in biology.

Other notable figures mentioned, like Gregor Mendel, did important foundational work in genetics, but his theories came into prominence after Darwin's and Wallace's work on evolution. Jean-Baptiste Lamarck proposed an early theory of evolution that included ideas of inheritance of acquired characteristics, which differs fundamentally from the natural selection mechanism. Thomas Malthus contributed ideas regarding population growth that influenced Darwin and Wallace, but he did not propose the theory of natural selection itself. Wallace’s role as a co-discoverer highlights a crucial moment in the advancement of evolutionary theory.