The Talk.Origins Archive: Exploring the Creation/Evolution Controversy

Darwin's Precursors and Influences

Conclusions of this Essay

[Last Update: 21 February 2003]

Darwin's theories consist of seven main hypotheses. He was neither original nor claimed to be on transmutation or the struggle for existence. He proposed original hypotheses extending earlier theories of common descent and biogeographical speciation. Natural selection and sexual selection were his own theories, not influenced either by earlier formulations or by Wallace's independent discoveries. His theory of heredity was not original except in his specific and mistaken hypothesis of pangenesis. Finally, Darwin was working as a bona fide scientist in the science of his day, and his theories are not mere reflections of his religious, political or economic beliefs.

The following table summarises the conclusions:

Hypothesis	Original to C Darwin	Influenced	First author
Transmutation of species	No	Possibly, by Lamarck, E Darwin, and Lyell's anti-Lamarckian arguments	Lamarck or Erasmus Darwin in the scientific tradition
Struggle for existence	No	Yes, by numerous scientists and writers (eg, Malthus, Tennyson).	Heraclitus
Common descent	No, but first to propose single ancestor of all life	Yes, by numerous scientists, especially von Baer and Owen.	Maupertuis
Biogeographical speciation	No	Numerous scientists, esp. Wallace.	Gmelin, von Buch
Natural selection	No	No. Independently discovered by Wallace.	Wells (not as mechanism of evolution - Darwin was first in this)
Sexual selection	Yes	Possibly by comments by Erasmus Darwin.	C Darwin
Heredity (use and disuse)	No	Yes, possibly by Lamarck.	Ancient
Heredity (pangenesis)	Yes	Yes	C Darwin

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