Sympathetic science: Charles Darwin, Joseph Hooker, and the passions of Victorian naturalists.

Joseph Hooker: the making of a botanist.

Joseph Hooker became one of the most influential botanists of his day. He is best remembered as a friend of Charles Darwin and an early advocate of natural selection. However, after returning to Britain from his first major voyage, Hooker spent years struggling to find a paid position that would allow him to pursue his studies of plant classification and distribution. As he worked to establish ...

Darwin, Hooker and the documentation of Victorian science

Evolution Before Darwin: The Musings of Constantine Rafinesque

In the history of biology, Constantine Rafinesque (1783-1840) and Charles Darwin (1809.1882) represent what are probably polar opposites among 19th century naturalists. Both were true intellectual geniuses, exceptionally broad in their knowledge and interests; both wrote prolifically; both took their initial inspiration from the science of taxonomy — the naming and cataloging of biological dive...

Charles Darwin and the Theory of Natural Selection

An American naturalist has well described this little book, as one of the minor classics of evolutional literature. Admirable in its clearness and lucidity, admirable in the evolution of its evolutionary theme, admirable in its portrayal not only of the central figure but of his environment, it is above all admirable in the skill with which it depicts the combined insight and patience, breadth ...

Lumpers and splitters: Darwin, Hooker, and the search for order.

Classification was a key practice of the natural history sciences in the early 19th century, but leading taxonomists disagreed over basic matters, such as how many species the British flora contained. In this arena, the impact of Charles Darwin's ideas was surprisingly limited. For taxonomists like Darwin's friend, Joseph Dalton Hooker, the priority was to establish a reputation as a philosophi...