Posted: Apr 30, 2012 2:26 pm
I don't think that's true. Have a look at the FAQ files: after all Darwin and Wallace came to the famous gentleman's agreement, and Darwin remained on best terms with Wallace until his own death in 1882 and freely acknowledged his debt to ARW. Some say he did not go far enough - there is a considerable debate as to whether Darwin "ripped off" Wallace's ideas in the 17 months between receiving it and publishing Origin but Wallace never said he did and Darwin had been working on his research for two decades - he was basically worried that Wallace would pre-empt him, and Wallace secure in his position as the most celebrated naturalist of his age, and indeed the most famous scientist of his time, let Darwin publish his book first, and they had both their papers read together. Wallace's work was absolutely essential though, and Darwin always acknowledged that? It is just the way history works that we all know of Charles Darwin now, and very few have heard of the more famous at the time ARW?