| MadSci Network: Science History |
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It's generally accepted that Darwin was not the first to think in terms of
evolution. Jean-Baptiste Lamarck believed in the
inheritance of acquired traits, and such
English notables as Charles Lyell, Edward Blyth
and Alfred Wallace are said
to have preceded Darwin; the evidence is best for Wallace.
It is said by most historians of science that Darwin was the great synthesizer. By this account, Blyth and Lyell didn't quite get it right; and Darwin's formulation of natural selection was prior to that of Wallace, with whom Darwin was acquainted. Darwin was just a meticulous and slow writer, and finally was rushed into print by the news that Wallace was about to "scoop" him. On the other hand, here's a paper which seems well-referenced but has not passed peer-review, which contends that Darwin was a plagiarist from first to last.
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