Tremaux on Species: A Theory of Allopatric Speciation (and Punctuated Equilibrium) before Wagner

Abstract

Pierre Trémaux's 1865 ideas on speciation have been unjustly derided following his acceptance by Marx and rejection by Engels, and almost nobody has read his ideas in a charitable light. Here we offer an interpretation based on translating the term sol as "habitat," in order to show that Trémaux proposed a theory of allopatric speciation before Wagner and a punctuated equilibrium theory before Gould and Eldredge, and we translate the relevant discussion from the French. We believe he may have influenced Darwin's revision to the third edition of the Origin on rates of evolution. We also suggest that Gould's dismissal of Trémaux is motivated by concern that others might think punctuated equilibrium theory was tainted by a connection with Trémaux.