Other than his novel on natural selection, Wallace was a great influence to the scientific community. Publishing more than 800 articles and 22 books, and being the main voice of the anti-vaccination movement. Wallace collected birds and beetles for research, analyzing the different adaptations each species had being from different regions, in his words "the survival of the fittest".
Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/31597263/ns/technology_and_science-science/t/forgotten-evolutionist-rediscovered-last/#.UIoe4LTWxUQ
In Darwin's theory, he explains how some organisms are just a better "fit" to the environment allowing them to better survive and have a better chance for reproducing and surviving. This is very similar to Wallace's theory on "survival of the fittest". In other words, the organisms that can better adapt will have a higher chance of survival. Darwin also explains how those organisms with adaptive traits will better survive that those with beneficial traits when environmental change occurs. Wallace's theory is similar in the fact that he stated these traits were forced, when disaster occurred, these organisms would adapt instead of over time. I believe Wallace had a positive impact on Darwin's theory.
In all, Darwin would have still come to the conclusion of natural selection without the help of Wallace. Darwin had already come out with this similar theory and decided to share his ideas next to Wallace, together they wrote the novel, On the Tendency of Species to Form Varieties; and on the Perpetuation of Varieties and Species by Natural Means of Selection (1858).
The church affected Darwin's theory on natural selection because it went against the bible stating man was created by God instead of evolution. They frowned upon his theory and called in blasphemy, a confrontation at the 1860 meeting of the British Association for the Advancement of Science in Oxford.
The church affected Darwin's theory on natural selection because it went against the bible stating man was created by God instead of evolution. They frowned upon his theory and called in blasphemy, a confrontation at the 1860 meeting of the British Association for the Advancement of Science in Oxford.
