Charles Darwin did not mislead Joseph Hooker in their 1881 Correspondence about Leopold von Buch and Karl Ernst von Baer

ABSTRACT

While Joseph Hooker was considering his upcoming presentation on the geographical distribution of species, he asked Charles Darwin for help with some references. During the ensuing exchange of correspondence, Darwin seems to have contradicted himself, regarding his being aware of Leopold von Buch’s observation that distributed varieties become species, prior to writing On the Origin of Species. Literalists and conspiracists have interpreted this apparent self-contradiction as a sign of duplicity and fraud. However, when the correspondence and Hooker’s address are analysed in context, there is a more compelling explanation. Simply that, in response to direct questioning by Hooker, Darwin conflated the two names of Von Baer and Von Buch, and made an honest mistake.

KEYWORDS:

• Geographic isolation
• speciation
• divergence
• counterfactual
• conspiracists

Acknowledgements

With thanks to Roland Jackson, author of “The Ascent of John Tyndall”, and Michael D. Barton at “The Dispersal of Darwin” website, for their assistance with some of the letter transcriptions, and to an anonymous reviewer for their helpful comments.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 Joseph D. Hooker, ‘To C. R. Darwin’. Darwin Correspondence Project, (1881) Letter no. 12498, http://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/DCP-LETT-12498 accessed 11 March 2019.

2 Charles R. Darwin, ‘To J. D. Hooker’, (1881), pp. 24–6, Letter 397 in Darwin & Seward (1903)

3 Joseph D. Hooker, ‘To C. R. Darwin’, Darwin Correspondence Project, (1881) Letter no. 13209, http://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/DCP-LETT-13209 accessed 31 July 2019

4 Charles R. Darwin, ‘To J. D. Hooker’, Darwin Correspondence Project, (1881) Letter no. 13211, http://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/DCP-LETT-13211 accessed 31 July 2019

5 Joseph D. Hooker, ‘To C. R. Darwin’, (1881), pp. 223–5 in Huxley (1918).

6 Charles R. Darwin, ‘To J. D. Hooker’, (1881), pp. 246–9 in Darwin (1887).

7 Augustin Pyramus de Candolle, ‘Essai Élémentaire de Géographie Botanique’, Dictionnaire des Sciences Naturelles, Tome 18 (1820), 359–422, https://reader.digitale-sammlungen.de/en/fs1/object/display/bsb10301226_00032.html

8 Joseph D. Hooker, ‘To C. R. Darwin’, (1881), pp. 225–6 in Huxley (1918).

9 Axel Gudbrand Blytt, Essay on the immigration of the Norwegian flora during alternating rainy and dry periods (Christiania: A. Cammermeyer, 1876).

10 Charles R. Darwin, ‘To J. D. Hooker’, (1881), pp. 26–7, Letter 398 in Darwin & Seward (1903).

11 Karl Ernst von Baer, Über Papuas und Alfuren. (Offprint of: Mémoires de l’Adadémie Impériale des sciences de St.-Petersbourg, Sixième série, Sciences naturelles, Tome VIII: 270–346) (St. Petersburg: Buchdruckerei der Kaiserlichen Akademie der Wissenschaften, 1859), p. 74ff.

12 Baer, Über Papuas und Alfuren.

13 Thomas H. Huxley, ‘To C. R. Darwin’, Darwin Correspondence Project, (1860) Letter no. 2891, http://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/DCP-LETT-2891 accessed 10 March 2019

14 Rudolph Wagner, Zoologisch-anthropologische Untersuchungen. (Offprint of ‘Die Forschungen über Hirn- und Schädelbildung des Menschen in ihrer Anwendung auf einige Probleme der allgemeinen Natur- und Geschichtswissenschaft.’ Abhandlungen der Königlichen Gesellschaft der Wissenschaften zu Göttingen, Band 9: 153–204) (Göttingen: Dietrichsche Buchhandlung, 1861), pp. 50–2.

15 Wagner, Zoologisch-anthropologische Untersuchungen, p. 51.

16 Charles R. Darwin, On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection. 4th ed. (London: John Murray, 1866), pp. xx–xxi. Darwin Online F385.

17 Joseph D. Hooker, ‘To C. R. Darwin’, Darwin Correspondence Project, (1881) Letter no. 13291, http://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/DCP-LETT-13291 accessed 11 March 2019

18 Baer, Über Papuas und Alfuren.

19 Christen Smith, Diario del viaje a las Islas Canarias en 1815. Per Sunding; Arnoldo Santos; Cristina S Hansen, eds. La orotava, Tenerife: Fundación Canaria Orotava de Historia de la Ciencia, 2005.

20 Frantz Casper Kiaer, Professor Christen Smiths Dagbog paa Reisen til de Canariske Øer i 1815. Forhandlinger i Videnskapsselskapet i Kristiania., Videnskapsselskapet. Christiania Dybwad, 1889.

21 Christian Leopold von Buch, Physikalische Beschreibung der Canarischen Inseln (Berlin: Druckerei der Königlichen Akademie der Wissenschaften, 1825).

22 Moritz Wagner, Neueste Beiträge zu den Streitfagen der Entwicklungslehre. III. Der Irrtum des Darwinismus. Beilage zur Allgemeinen Zeitung, München, Nov 13, no. 317: pp. 4813–4; Nov 14, no. 318: 4831–2; Nov 15, no. 319: 4847–8; Nov 16, no. 320: 4866–7, 1873. https://digipress.digitale-sammlungen.de/calendar/1873/11/13/newspaper/bsbmult00000002

23 John Frederick William Herschel, A Preliminary Discourse on the Study of Natural Philosophy (London: Longman, Rees, Orme, Brown, and Green, 1831).

24 Nora Barlow, ed. The Autobiography of Charles Darwin 1809–1882 (London: Collins, 1958), pp. 67–8. Darwin Online F1497.

25 John Stevens Henslow, ‘To C. R. Darwin’, Darwin Correspondence Project, (1831, Aug 24) Letter no. 105, http://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/DCP-LETT-105 accessed 30 July 2019

26 Christian Leopold von Buch, Description Physique des Iles Canaries. Traduit de l’Allemand par C. Boulanger. (Paris: F. G. Levrault, Libraire-Éditeur, 1836).

27 Charles R. Darwin, Notebook B [Transmutation of species (1837–1838)], p. 156. Darwin Online CUL-DAR121.

28 Ibid, p. 158.

29 Charles R. Darwin, Notebook C [Transmutation of species (1838.02–1838.07)]. Darwin Online CUL-DAR122.

30 Christian Leopold von Buch, Travels through Norway and Lapland during the years 1806, 1807, and 1808. Translated by John Black. With notes by Robert Jameson. (London: Henry Colburn, 1813).

31 Charles Lyell, Principles of geology, being an attempt to explain the former changes of the Earth's surface, by reference to causes now in operation (London: John Murray, 1830).

32 Dennis R. Dean, ‘Graham Island, Charles Lyell, and the Craters of Elevation Controversy’, Isis, 71, no. 4 (1980), pp. 571–88.

33 Buch, Physikalische Beschreibung der Canarischen Inseln

34 D. R. Stoddart, ‘Darwin, Lyell, and the Geological Significance of Coral Reefs’, The British Journal for the History of Science, 9, no. 2 (1976), pp. 199–218.

35 Charles R. Darwin, The structure and distribution of coral reefs. Being the first part of the geology of the voyage of the Beagle, under the command of Capt. Fitzroy, R.N. during the years 1832–1836 (London: Smith Elder and Co, 1842).

36 Charles Lyell, ‘On Craters of Denudation, with Observations on the Structure and Growth of Volcanic Cones’, Quarterly Journal of the Geological Society, 6, no. 1–2 (1850), pp. 207–34.

37 Charles R. Darwin, Geological observations on the volcanic islands visited during the voyage of H.M.S. Beagle, together with some brief notices of the geology of Australia and the Cape of Good Hope. Being the second part of the geology of the voyage of the Beagle, under the command of Capt. Fitzroy, R.N. during the years 1832–1836 (London: Smith Elder and Co, 1844).

38 Gabriel Gohau, ‘Darwin the geologist: Between Lyell and von Buch’, Comptes Rendus Biologies, 333, no. 2 (2010), pp. 95–8.

39 Charles R. Darwin, Geological observations on South America. Being the third part of the geology of the voyage of the Beagle, under the command of Capt. Fitzroy, R.N. during the years 1832–1836 (London: Smith Elder and Co, 1846).

40 Charles R. Darwin, ‘To Edward Sabine’, Darwin Correspondence Project, (1854) Letter no. 1550. https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/DCP-LETT-1550 accessed 22 June 2020

41 Buch, Description Physique des Iles Canaries, p. 147.

42 Darwin, On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, , p. xvi.

43 Malcolm J. Kottler, ‘Charles Darwin’s Biological Species Concept and Theory of Geographic Speciation: the Transmutation Notebooks’, Annals of Science, 35 (1978), pp. 275–97.

44 Darwin, Notebook B [Transmutation of species (1837–1838)].

45 Kottler, ‘Charles Darwin’s Biological Species Concept and Theory of Geographic Speciation’, pp. 275–97.

46 Ibid.

47 Hugh Dower, ‘Darwin’s Guilty Secret’, Hugh Dower, (2009a). https://archive.vn/pFVBs

48 Hugh Dower, ‘Dower’s Appendix’, Patrick Matthew, (2009b). https://archive.is/eMJSM

49 Kottler, ‘Charles Darwin’s Biological Species Concept and Theory of Geographic Speciation’, pp. 275–297.

50 Gavin de Beer and M. J. Rowlands, eds. ‘Darwin's notebooks on transmutation of species. Addenda and corrigenda’, Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History). Historical Series, 2, no. 6 (1961), pp. 185-200. Darwin Online F1574e/F1817.

51 Buch, Physikalische Beschreibung der Canarischen Inseln, , p. 132f.

52 Buch, Description Physique des Iles Canaries, p. 147f.

53 Alfred R. Wallace, ‘To C. R. Darwin’, Darwin Correspondence Project, (1860) Letter no. 2627. http://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/DCP-LETT-2627 accessed 10 March 2019

54 Frank J. Sulloway, ‘Geographic isolation in Darwin’s thinking: the vicissitudes of a crucial idea’, Studies in History of Biology 3 (1979), pp. 23-65.

55 Charlotte Weismann, ‘The Origins of Species: The Debate between August Weismann and Moritz Wagner’, Journal of the History of Biology, 43 (2010), pp. 727–66.

56 Sulloway, ‘Geographic isolation in Darwin’s thinking: the vicissitudes of a crucial idea’, pp. 23–65.

57 Wagner, ‘Neueste Beiträge zu den Streitfagen der Entwicklungslehre. III. Der Irrtum des Darwinismus’, München, Nov 13, no. 317: pp. 4813–4; Nov 14, no. 318: 4831–2; Nov 15, no. 319: 4847–8; Nov 16, no. 320: 4866–7. https://digipress.digitale-sammlungen.de/calendar/1873/11/13/newspaper/bsbmult00000002

58 Sulloway, ‘Geographic isolation in Darwin’s thinking’,pp. 23–65.

59 Joachim L. Dagg, ‘Comparing the respective transmutation mechanisms of Patrick Matthew, Charles Darwin and Alfred Wallace’, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 123 (2018), pp. 864–78.

60 Derek Partridge, ‘Darwin’s two theories, 1844 and 1859’, Journal of the History of Biology, 51 (2018), pp. 563–92.

61 Wagner, ‘Neueste Beiträge zu den Streitfagen der Entwicklungslehre. III. Der Irrtum des Darwinismus’, München, Nov 13, no. 317: pp. 4813–4; Nov 14, no. 318: 4831–2; Nov 15, no. 319: 4847–8; Nov 16, no. 320: 4866–7. https://digipress.digitale-sammlungen.de/calendar/1873/11/13/newspaper/bsbmult00000002

62 Charles R. Darwin, ‘To J. D. Hooker’, (1881), pp. 27–8, Letter 399 in Darwin & Seward (1903).

63 Buch, Description Physique des Iles Canaries.

64 Darwin, ‘To J. D. Hooker’, ;pp. 27–8.

65 Charles R. Darwin, On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection. 1st ed. (London: John Murray, 1859), p. 65. Darwin Online F373.

66 Candolle, ‘Essai Élémentaire de Géographie Botanique’, pp. 359–422.

67 Hooker, ‘To C. R. Darwin’.

68 Ibid.

69 Ibid.

70 Baer, Über Papuas und Alfuren.

71 Darwin, ‘To J. D. Hooker’, pp. 27–8.

72 Ibid., pp. 246–9.

73 Darwin, Notebook B [Transmutation of species (1837–1838)].

74 Darwin, The structure and distribution of coral reefs.

75 Darwin, Geological observations on the volcanic islands visited during the voyage of H.M.S. Beagle, together with some brief notices of the geology of Australia and the Cape of Good Hope.

76 Francis Darwin, ed. The foundations of The origin of species. Two essays written in 1842 and 1844 (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1909). Darwin Online F1556.

77 Charles R. Darwin and A. R. Wallace, ‘On the tendency of species to form varieties; and on the perpetuation of varieties and species by natural means of selection’, [Read 1 July] Journal of the Proceedings of the Linnean Society of London. Zoology, 3 (1858), pp. 45–50. Darwin Online F350.

78 Darwin, On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection.

79 Huxley, ‘To C. R. Darwin’.

80 Joseph D. Hooker, ‘On geographical distribution’, Report of the Fifty-first Meeting of the British Association for the Advancement of Science (1881), pp. 727–38. Biodiversity Heritage Library https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/29850719.

81 Hooker, ‘To C. R. Darwin’.

82 Baer, Über Papuas und Alfuren.

83 Hooker, ‘On geographical distribution’, pp. 727–38

84 Hooker, ‘To C. R. Darwin’.

85 Darwin, ‘To J. D. Hooker’, pp. 27–8.

86 Baer, Über Papuas und Alfuren.

87 Joseph D. Hooker, ‘To C. R. Darwin’, Darwin Correspondence Project, Letter no. 13302, (1881). http://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/DCP-LETT-13302 accessed 11 March 2019.

88 Darwin, ‘To J. D. Hooker’, pp. 27–8.

89 Darwin, On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection.

90 Francis Darwin, ed. The life and letters of Charles Darwin, including an autobiographical chapter (London: John Murray, 1887). Volume 3. Darwin Online F1452.

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