Alfred Russel Wallace

Alfred Russel Wallace

From Compact Biographies by Compact Biographies

April 6, 2026 · 21 min · Episode 245

About this episode

This episode explores the life and contributions of Alfred Russel Wallace, a key figure in the development of evolutionary theory.

Alfred Russel Wallace was one of the great scientific minds of the nineteenth century, yet he is often remembered as the man standing just outside Darwin's shadow. In this episode, we follow Wallace from rural Wales to the Amazon and the Malay Archipelago, tracing the journeys, discoveries, and ideas that helped change biology forever. It is the story of an explorer, collector, thinker, and co-discoverer of natural selection whose legacy deserves far more of the spotlight. Visit our website: Compact Biographies Find us on our social media sites: Facebook Instagram Pinterest Youtube Please also consider supporting the show by buying us a coffee - head on over to compacthistories.com/biographiescoffee to see how. #AlfredRusselWallace, #Evolution, #NaturalSelection, #HistoryOfScience, #VictorianScience, #Biology, #Naturalist, #MalayArchipelago, #CharlesDarwin, #CompactBiographies

People in this episode

Host: Compact Biographies

Topics covered

  • natural selection
  • evolution
  • history of science
  • Victorian science
  • biology
  • naturalist

Keywords

  • Alfred Russel Wallace
  • evolution
  • natural selection
  • history of science
  • Victorian science
  • biology
  • naturalist

Mentioned in this episode

Places: Wales, Amazon, Malay Archipelago

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