Retracing Alfred Russel Wallace's 1857 expedition to the Maros karsts of Sulawesi
Date
2019
Authors
Brumm, Adam
Jaya Shagir, Kama
Ismail, Taufiq
Hakim, Budianto
Perston, Yinika
Newman, Kim
Macknight, Campbell
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Linnean Society of London
Abstract
Alfred Russel Wallace’s forays in Southeast Asia led to his formulation of a theory that revolutionized our understanding
of the history of life. Although Wallace was a prolific writer, his travel accounts are inconsistent with regards to
details about his activities at given points in his journeys, especially in relation to the whereabouts of the many
temporary abodes (e.g. huts) he used in the field. Hence, much of what Wallace did in the ‘Malay Archipelago’ remains
unknown. In 1857, Wallace spent 2 months collecting in the limestone karsts of Maros in Sulawesi. Throughout this
period, Wallace stayed on the estate of a local Dutch-Indische farmer, Jacob Mesman. Wallace vividly described the
scenery and biodiversity of Maros, but his report of this expedition generally lacks detail. Here we use Wallace’s
written narratives, local histories and landscape surveys to identify the location of Mesman’s estate where Wallace
was based during his time in Maros. We also discuss our attempt to locate the site of the hut Wallace used as his
collecting station. This is essential for a more complete understanding of Wallace’s 1857 Sulawesi trip, an excursion
that took place just a few months before he wrote his famous ‘Ternate essay’ in February 1858.
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Keywords
Alfred Russel Wallace, Maros, Mesman, Sulawesi
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Source
Biological Journal of the Linnean Society
Type
Journal article
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Restricted until
2099-12-31
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