Darwin
A) was reluctant to publish his theories
B) wrote his theory of natural selection while still on board the Beagle
C) published his theories as soon as he returned from his voyage on the Beagle
D) was not concerned with public opinion and did not mind if his theories were criticized
E) knew his friends and colleagues would not be affected by the publication of his theory

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Darwin was indeed reluctant to publish his theories due to the potential controversy and backlash from the religious and scientific communities of his time. He delayed publishing his work on natural selection for many years, only doing so when Alfred Russel Wallace independently arrived at similar conclusions, prompting Darwin to finally present his findings.