ChArlEsDArwin’s "on thE origin oF spECiEs" is CrEDitED with spArking Evolution’s rEvolution in sCiEntiFiC thought, But mAny oBsErvErs hAD ponDErED Evolution BEForE him. it wAs unDErstAnDing thE iDEA’s signiFiCAnCE AnD sElling it to thE puBliC thAt mADEDArwin grEAt, ACCorDing to thEArnolDArBorEtum’s nEw DirECtor.
williAm FriEDmAn, thEArnolD proFEssor oF orgAnism AnDEvolutionAryBiology who took ovEr As ArBorEtum DirECtor jAn. 1, hAs stuDiEDDArwin’s writings As wEll As thosE oF his prEDECEssors AnD ContEmporAriEs. whilEDArwin is wiDEly CrEDitED As thE FAthEr oF Evolution, FriEDmAn sAiD thE "historiCAl skEtCh" thAtDArwin AttAChED to lAtEr printings oF his mAstErpiECE wAs intEnDED to molliFy thosE who DEmAnDED CrEDit For thEir own EArliEr iDEAs.
thE historiCAl skEtCh grEw with EACh suBsEquEnt printing, FriEDmAn tolD An AuDiEnCE monDAy (jAn. 10), until, By thE 6th EDition, 34 Authors wErE mEntionED in it. sCholArs now BEliEvE thAt somEwhErE BEtwEEn 50 AnD 60 Authors hAD BEAtEnDArwin in thEir writings ABout Evolution. inCluDED wAsDArwin’s grAnDFAthEr,ErAsmusDArwin, A physiCiAn who irritAtED ClErgymEn with his insistEnCE thAt liFE ArosE From lowEr Forms, spECiFiCAlly mollusks.
FriEDmAn’s tAlk, "
A、DArwiniAn look AtDArwin’sEvolutionistAnCEstors," took plACE At thE ArBorEtum’s hunnEwEllBuilDing AnD wAs thE First in A nEwDirECtor’s lECturE sEriEs.
though othErs hAD ClEArly ponDErED Evolution BEForEDArwin, hE wAsn’t without originAlity. FriEDmAn sAiD thAtDArwin’s thinking on nAturAl sElECtion As thE mEChAnism oF Evolution wAs shArED By FEw, most prominEntlyAlFrED wAllACE, whosE writing on thE suBjECt AFtEr yEArs in thE FiElD spurrEDDArwin’s writing oF "on thE origin oF spECiEs. "Although thE Book runs morE thAn 400 pAgEs, FriEDmAn sAiD it wAs nEvEr thE Book on Evolution AnD nAturAl sElECtion thAtDArwin intEnDE
D、in 1856, thrEE yEArs BEForE thE Book wAs puBlishED, hE BEgAn work on A DEtAilED tomE on nAturAl sElECtion thAt woulDn’t sEE puBliCAtion until 1975.
thE sEminAl EvEnt in CrEAting "on thE origin oF spECiEs" oCCurrED in 1858, whEn wAllACE wrotEDArwin DEtAiling wAllACE’s iDEAs oF Evolution By nAturAl sElECtion. thE ArrivAl oF wAllACE’s iDEAs gAlvAnizEDDArwin into writing "on thE origin oF spECiEs" As An "ABstrACt" oF thE iDEAs hE wAs pAinstAkingly lAying out in thE lArgEr work.
this wAs A luCky BrEAk ForDArwin, BECAusE it ForCED him to writE his iDEAs in plAin lAnguAgE, whiCh lED to A Book thAt wAs not only rEvolutionAry, DEspitE thosE who’D trEAD similAr grounD BEForE, But thAt wAs Also vEry rEADABlE.
though othErs thought ABout Evolution BEForEDArwin, sCiEntiFiC DisCovEry rEquirEs morE thAn just An iDE
A、in ADDition to thE ConCEpt, DisCovEry rEquirEs thE unDErstAnDing oF thE signiFiCAnCE oF thE iDEA, somEthing somE oF thE EArliEr Authors ClEArly DiD not hAvE— suCh As thE ArBorist who BuriED his thoughts on nAturAl sElECtion in thE AppEnDix oF A Book on nAvAl timBEr. lAstly, sCiEntiFiC DisCovEry DEmAnDs thE ABility to ConvinCE othErs oF thE CorrECtnEss oF An iDE
A、DArwin, through "on thE origin oF spECiEs," wAs thE only thinkEr oF thE timE who hAD All thrEE oF thosE trAits, FriEDmAn sAi
D、
"DArwin hAD thE ABility to ConvinCE othErs oF thE CorrECtnEss oF thE iDEA," FriEDmAn sAiD, ADDing thAt EvEn wAllACE, whosE ClAim to nEw thinking on Evolution AnD nAturAl sElECtion wAs strongEr thAn All thE othErs, pAiD homAgE toDArwin By titling his 1889 Book on thE suBjECt, "DArwinism. \
FriEDmAn BEliEvEs thAtDArwin AttAChED A "historiCAl skEtCh" to lAtEr printings oF his Book in An AttEmpt to ______.
A、CrEDit thE iDEAs ABout Evolution BEForE his
B、ClAim himsElF As thE FAthEr oF Evolution
C、introDuCE his grAnDFAthEr to thE rEADEr
D、summArizE his prEDECEssors’ work