Darwinism and Wallacism
A Brief Account of the Long History of the Study of Plumage Coloration
This chapter reviews the history of the study of bird coloration, starting with the debates of Charles Darwin and Alfred Wallace in the 19th century. Although Darwin proposed the idea that ornamental coloration evolves under the pressure of female choice, this idea remained untested for plumage color until the 1990s, when research was conducted on mate choice experiments with House Finches. The chapter discusses why it took so long for the idea to be tested.
Keywords: Charles Darwin, Alfred Wallace, mate choice, sexual selection, history of science, plumage color, ornamental coloration
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