EVERYDAY SCIENCE

Detailed explanation-1: -But in the mid-1800s, Darwin and the British biologist Alfred Russel Wallace independently conceived of a natural, even observable, way for life to change: a process Darwin called natural selection.

Detailed explanation-2: -Darwin and a scientific contemporary of his, Alfred Russel Wallace, proposed that evolution occurs because of a phenomenon called natural selection. In the theory of natural selection, organisms produce more offspring than are able to survive in their environment.

Detailed explanation-3: -Wallace knew Darwin was working on similar research. In 1858, he sent Darwin a letter outlining his ideas about evolution. The two collaborated on a scientific paper, discussing their evidence for natural selection and evolution.

Detailed explanation-4: -Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace independently discovered the mechanism of natural selection for evolutionary change.

Detailed explanation-5: -Both Darwin and Wallace formulated the natural selection theory at the same time. Wallace came from a wealthy, upper-class family, whereas Darwin grew up in a family that did not have much money.