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Quote by Alfred Russel Wallace

“Modification of form is admitted to be a matter of time”

Author

Alfred Russel Wallace was a British naturalist renowned for his contributions to the theory of evolution. He independently proposed the theory of natural selection during his explorations in South America, sharing the honor of evolutionary theory with Charles Darwin. Wallace also conducted extensive research in entomology, botany, and geography. more

“Branches or types are characterized by the plan of their structure, Classes, by the manner in which that plan is executed, as far as ways and means are concerned, Orders, by the degrees of complication of that structure, Families, by their form, as far as determined by structure, Genera, by the details of the execution in special parts, and Species, by the relations of individuals to one another and to the world in which they live, as well as by the proportions of their parts, their ornamentation, etc.”

Source: Contributions to the Natural History of the United States of America: pt. I. Essay on classification. pt. II. North American Testudinata. 1857

“The time has come when scientific truth must cease to be the property of the few, when it must be woven into the common life of the world.”

World Life Truth Common Property Cease Woven Scientific Truth Common Life

Book:Methods of Study in Natural History

Source: Methods of Study in Natural History

“The facts will eventually test all our theories, and they form, after all, the only impartial jury to which we can appeal.”

Facts Form Theory Tests Appeals Jury

Book:Geological Sketches

Source: Geological Sketches

“Today our duty is to destroy the myth of evolution, considered as a simple, understood, and explained phenomenon which keeps rapidly unfolding before us. Biologists must be encouraged to think about the weaknesses and extrapolations that theoreticians put forward or lay down as established truths. The deceit is sometimes unconscious, but not always, since some people, owing to their sectarianism, purposely overlook reality and refuse to acknowledge the inadequacies and falsity of their beliefs.”