June 29, 2009
Wallace’s Rottweiler
George Beccaloni, an evolutionary biologist with the London Natural History Museum, has taken it upon himself to champion Alfred Russel Wallace, a contemporary of Darwin’s, now largely lost to popular understanding.
Calling himself Wallace’s Rottweiler, Beccaloni has barnstormed across England to preserve Wallace homes and other sites. He convinced the Natural History Museum in London to buy the scientist’s insect collection, correspondence and books from Wallace’s two grandsons.
He also runs a Wallace Web site and is helping British standup comedian Bill Bailey plan a routine based on the scientist. Beccaloni’s biggest job by far, however, is defending Wallace’s legacy.
A comedy routine?
Also controversial is Wallace’s support of spiritualism, a popular movement that held seances and believed spirits of the dead can communicate with the living. He upset Darwin and damaged his scientific reputation by arguing that the development of the human mind and some bodily attributes were guided by spiritual beings rather than natural selection, Beccaloni acknowledged.
The story is even more involved.
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Matthew and Wells Rottweilers
Perhaps I should instigate Rottweilers for Patrick Matthew and Charles Wells. Both Darwin and Wallace admitted that these two scientists came up with the idea of natural selection before they did. For more details search “wainwrightscience” on Google and the associated link to the Dawkins website.
Prof.Milton Wainwright,Dept.Molecular Biology and Biotechnology,University of Sheffield,UK