Character guide

Charles Darwin

major

Also known as Unknown, mine, myself, our

The author and narrator, presenting his theory of natural selection.

Gärtner

supporting

Also known as Gartner, Both Gartner

A botanist whose experiments on plant hybridization are frequently cited.

Dr. Hooker

supporting

Also known as Dr. Hooker, subsequently Dr. Hooker, Hooker

A botanist and close colleague who provided key evidence and support.

Professor Owen

supporting

Also known as Professor Owen, Owen

A prominent anatomist and critic of Darwin's theory.

Mr. Mivart

supporting

Also known as Mr. Mivart, Mr. St. George Mivart, himself

A biologist who raised detailed objections to natural selection.

De Candolle

supporting

Also known as De Candolle, Alph . de Candolle, de Candolle, the elder De Candolle, Alph . De Candolle, Alph, The elder De Candolle

A botanist whose work on plant geography and variation is referenced.

Fritz Müller

supporting

Also known as Fritz Muller, Muller

A naturalist in Brazil who provided supporting evidence for natural selection.

Sir Charles Lyell

supporting

Also known as Sir C. Lyell, Lyell, Sir Charles Lyell

A geologist whose uniformitarian principles influenced Darwin's thinking.

Kölreuter

minor

Also known as Kolreuter

A botanist known for early experiments on plant hybridization.

Mr. H. C. Watson

minor

Also known as Mr. H. C. Watson, Mr. Watson

A botanist who studied plant distribution and variation.

Mr. Wallace

supporting

Also known as Mr. Wallace

A naturalist who independently conceived the theory of natural selection.

Agassiz

minor

Also known as Agassiz, Mr. Agassiz

A prominent naturalist who opposed the theory of evolution.

Mr. Bates

minor

Also known as Mr. Bates

A naturalist and explorer who studied mimicry in Amazonian butterflies.

Pictet

minor

Also known as Pictet, Professor Pictet

A paleontologist who discussed the fossil record and transitions.

Asa Gray

supporting

Also known as Asa Gray, Dr. Asa, Dr. Asa Gray, Dr. Gray, Professor Asa Gray

A leading American botanist and early supporter of Darwin.

Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire

minor

Also known as Geoffroy Saint - Hilaire, Geoffroy, M. Isidore Geoffroy Saint - Hilaire, Isidore Geoffroy Saint - Hilaire

A French naturalist who studied embryology and unity of type.

M. Barrande

minor

Also known as M. Barrande, Barrande

A paleontologist who studied Silurian fossils and their distribution.

Mr. Croll

minor

Also known as Mr. Croll

A geologist who proposed astronomical causes for glacial periods.

Mr. Wollaston

minor

Also known as Mr. Wollaston, Wollaston

A naturalist who studied beetles and island biogeography.

Pierre Huber

minor

Also known as Pierre Huber, Huber, elder Huber

A naturalist who studied ant behavior and instincts.

W. Herbert

minor

Also known as The Hon . and Rev. W. Herbert, W. Herbert, the Hon . and Rev. W. Herbert, Herbert

A botanist who conducted experiments on plant hybridization.

Mr. B. D. Walsh

minor

Also known as Mr. B. D. Walsh, Mr. Walsh, himself

An entomologist who studied insect galls and variation.

Mr. Waterhouse

minor

Also known as Mr. Waterhouse

A naturalist who studied mammals and beetles.

Mr. Hudson

minor

Also known as Mr. Hudson

A naturalist who observed birds and instincts in South America.

Buffon

minor

Also known as Buffon

An early naturalist who speculated on the mutability of species.

Lamarck

minor

Also known as Lamarck

A naturalist who proposed an early theory of evolution by acquired traits.

M. Naudin

minor

Also known as M. Naudin, Naudin

A botanist who studied hybridization and species formation.

Edward Forbes

minor

Also known as Forbes, Edward Forbes, the late Edward Forbes

A naturalist who studied biogeography and the distribution of species.

Sir John Lubbock

minor

Also known as Sir J. Lubbock, Sir John Lubbock

A naturalist who studied insects and early man.

Dr. W. C. Wells

minor

Also known as Dr. W. C. Wells, Dr. Wells

A physician who anticipated natural selection in human races.

Herbert Spencer

minor

Also known as Mr. Herbert Spencer, Mr. Herbert, Herbert

A philosopher who coined the phrase 'survival of the fittest'.

Dr. Falconer

minor

Also known as Dr. Falconer, Falconer

A paleontologist who studied fossil mammals and elephants.

Mr. E. Ray Lankester

minor

Also known as Mr. E. Ray Lankester, Mr. Lankester

A zoologist who studied comparative anatomy and evolution.

Professor Haeckel

minor

Also known as Professor Haeckel

A German biologist who popularized Darwin's theory and the biogenetic law.

Mr. Patrick Matthew

minor

Also known as Mr. Patrick Matthew, Mr. Matthew, himself

A naturalist who anticipated natural selection in an appendix.

Cuvier

minor

Also known as the illustrious Cuvier, Frederick Cuvier, Cuvier

A founder of paleontology who believed in the fixity of species.

Bronn

minor

Also known as Bronn

A German paleontologist who translated and critiqued Darwin's work.

Professor Huxley

supporting

Also known as Professor Huxley

A biologist and fierce defender of Darwin's theory.

Mr. Blyth

minor

Also known as Mr. Blyth

A naturalist who studied variation and wrote on species.

Van Mons

minor

Also known as Van Mons

A horticulturist known for breeding fruit varieties.

Dr. Cruger

minor

Also known as Dr. Cruger

A botanist who studied fertilization and dimorphism in plants.

Dr. Gunther

minor

Also known as Dr. Gunther

A zoologist who studied fish and reptiles.

Von Baer

minor

Also known as Von Baer, Baer, the great Von Baer

An embryologist who formulated laws of development.

Milne Edwards

minor

Also known as Milne Edwards

A French zoologist who studied physiology and division of labor.

Professor Flower

minor

Also known as Professor Flower

A zoologist who studied mammalian anatomy and classification.

Professor Ramsay

minor

Also known as Professor Ramsay, Ramsay

A geologist who studied the action of ice and rock formations.

Sprengel

minor

Also known as Sprengel

A botanist who discovered the role of insects in plant fertilization.

Sir R. Murchison

minor

Also known as Sir R. Murchison, Murchison

A geologist who studied Silurian and Permian systems.

Mr. Gould

minor

Also known as Mr. Gould

A naturalist who studied birds and their distribution.

Goethe

minor

Also known as Goethe

A poet and naturalist who speculated on plant metamorphosis.

Audubon

minor

Also known as Audubon

A naturalist and painter known for his studies of American birds.

Nägeli

minor

Also known as Nageli

A botanist who studied plant variation and heredity.

Linnaeus

minor

Also known as Linnaeus

The founder of modern taxonomy who believed species were fixed.

Moritz Wagner

minor

Also known as Moritz Wagner, Wagner

A naturalist who proposed the role of geographical isolation in speciation.

Aristotle

minor

Also known as Aristotle

An ancient philosopher who wrote on natural history and classification.

Professor Weismann

minor

Also known as Professor Weismann

A biologist who developed the germ plasm theory of heredity.

Oswald Heer

minor

Also known as Heer, Oswald Heer

A paleobotanist who studied fossil plants of the Arctic.

Professor Rütimeyer

minor

Also known as Professor Rutimeyer, Rutimeyer

A paleontologist who studied fossil mammals and their evolution.

Pallas

minor

Also known as Pallas

A naturalist who studied the geography and variation of species.

James Dwight Dana

minor

Also known as Dana, Prof. Dana

A geologist and zoologist who studied coral reefs and crustaceans.

Mr. F. Smith

minor

Also known as Mr. F. Smith, Mr. Smith

An entomologist who studied ants and their slave-making instincts.

Mr. Youatt

minor

Also known as Youatt, Mr. Youatt

A writer on animal breeding and domestication.

Bakewell

minor

Also known as Bakewell, Mr. Bakewell

A livestock breeder who pioneered selective breeding methods.

Mr. Tegetmeier

minor

Also known as Mr. Tegetmeier

A naturalist and pigeon fancier who assisted Darwin's research.

Mr. Darwin

major

The author, Charles Darwin, presenting his theory of evolution.