| |
 |
|
Malay Archipelago, The
Alfred Russell Wallace
544 pages, 205 x 140 mm, ISBN - 9971947501
black & white illustrations
Price - S$28.00 Availability - in print
|
|
| |
This book is one of the great classics of natural history and travel. It contains Wallace's observations on the different native peoples inhabiting the islands, descriptions of the island-groups, such as the Indo-Malays, the Timors, the Celebes, the Moluccas, and the Papuan Islands, and his accounts of the abundant & strange animals, startling birds & varied insects that flourish there. Wallace's basic thesis that the western half of the archipelago is Indian in animal life, whereas the eastern half is Australian, is still accepted, and the line separating the two is called the Wallace Line in his honour.
Alfred Russell Wallace occupies a unique position in 19th century science. A remarkable observer and a prolific creator of ideas, he provided as much of the groundwork of later biology, along with Darwin & Mendel. He developed the concept of evolution by natural selection independently of Darwin, and also adapted the new theories of evolution to genetic discoveries that occurred after Darwin's time. His work provides the foundation for the scientific study of botany & zoology in many parts of the world.
|
|
