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This animated short video tells the story of Alfred Russel Wallace, who independently formulated the theory of evolution by natural selection at the same time as Charles Darwin.Co-directed by Flora Lichtman and Sharon Shattuck of Sweet Fern Production, the video tracks A. R. Wallace's life from growing up in England to his voyages with Henry Walter Bates and later adventures in the Malay Archipelago. The 8-minute video ends with an examination of the naturalist's legacy. (The video is presented here with permission from Sweet Fern Productions.)

This activity supports the HHMI short film The Origin of Species: The Making of a Theory. Students are presented with a map of the Malay Archipelago and some field notebooks with observations of animals. By plotting which animals are found on which island, the students discover the Wallace Line-a sharp boundary that separates distinct Asian and Australian fauna.