PRESENT STATUS OF THE QUESTION 13 



Unquestionably, the most important and influen- 

 tial figure in the history of the evolutionary theory 

 is that of Charles Darwin (1809-1882), who effected 

 one of the most remarkable and far-reaching revolu- 

 tions in all departments of human thought of which 

 we have any record. By a curious coincidence, Dar- 

 win and Alfred Russell Wallace (1823-1913) inde- 

 pendently reached the same solution of the problem 

 concerning the origin of new species, but, with a 

 fine absence of jealousy and self-seeking, none too 

 common in the history of science, they cooperated 

 in the production of a preliminary paper, which ap- 

 peared in 1858; this, however, attracted little at- 

 tention. 



The publication of Darwin's :< Origin of Species ' 

 in 1859 is one of the great landmarks in the history 

 of science and brought about, though gradually, an 

 extraordinary revolution in opinion. That Darwin's 

 work did not share the fate of that of Lamarck and 

 other early evolutionists was due in part to the 

 preparatory labours of Lyell, who had familiarized 

 men's minds with the conception of uniformity, 

 continuity and orderly progress in the development 

 of the earth, but chiefly to Darwin's method of 

 gathering and presenting the evidence. Though 

 greeted at first with a storm of criticism, not un- 

 mingled with abuse, the sheer weight of evidence, 

 presented with such transparent simplicity and 

 candour, inevitably forced conviction even upon un- 

 willing minds. But here it is again necessary to 



