Talk:Evolutionary biology



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This article was the subject of a Wiki Education Foundation-supported course assignment, between 13 January 2025 and 2 May 2025. Further details are available on the course page. Peer reviewers: GraceYoung339.

— Assignment last updated by NWhistsci (talk) 15:41, 29 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Attribution missing

Greetings, all. The image of Darwin's finches in the infobox is attributed to John Gould, but although the image is indeed taken from his monograph, the image itself, as well as the others in that text, were drawn by the author's wife, illustrator Elizabeth Gould. Shouldn't the image be attributed also to her? -The Gnome (talk) 13:08, 3 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Hi The Gnome, if you have a reliable source stating that they were drawn by Elisabeth and not by John, then yes, please edit the text so it is attributed to her. Friendly, Lova Falk (talk) 10:21, 9 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]
Greetings, Lova Falk. I have these sources:
A blog entry from the Smithsonian: "...In 1830, a collection of Himalayan bird skins came across [John Gould's] desk for preservation, which his colleague, N. A. Vigors, was in the process of describing. Familiar with the new printing technology of lithography through the work of one Edward Lear, John put forward a proposal for an illustrated book to show off the new and interesting species contained in the collection. Fully aware that his own artistic abilities did not lend themselves to the subtle medium of lithography, John brought the project to Elizabeth, who at first did not grasp the gravity of her husband’s request. "But who will do the plates on stone?" she reportedly asked. "Why you, of course!" John replied matter-of-factly." John Gould contributed sketches to the joint endeavor, but his true aptitude was as a producer: overseeing the production from beginning to end, identifying birds with rough drawings, conceptualizing and correcting the renderings, as well as paying for the publication. Although he created the mystique of an artist around himself, it was Elizabeth who had the talent. Together they made a tremendous team."
An entry from the Linda Hall Library website:
"...A Century of Birds of the Himalaya Mountains was followed by the production of a five volume series, Birds of Europe. An exceedingly busy time for Elizabeth, she produced about 300 plates, traveled to Europe with John to visit important natural history collections, and gave birth to her fourth, fifth, and sixth children. Edward Lear, the nineteen-year-old bird artist, later famous for his nonsense verse, was working for the Zoological Society when John Gould approached him for temporary assistance. Under Lear’s influence, Elizabeth’s technique quickly advanced with added depth, motion, character, and improved composition. Soon after the publication of the Gould’s first ornithological images, she became internationally known for producing works of great beauty and accuracy, even receiving grudging words of admiration from John James Audubon."
An entry from Ornithology.com:
"...Elizabeth Gould married John Gould, a famous taxidermist and bird artist of that time. She designed, lithographed, and painted over 640 plates for birds of the Himalayas, Europe, Australia, and Charles Darwin’s The Zoology of the Voyage of the H.M.S. Beagle, as well as other works. There is considerable controversy about the attribution of her works – John may have taken credit for work she had done, although she was clearly the sole artist on their first collection A Century of Birds from the Himalaya Mountains."
A rather explicit post from the Audubon website (emphasis added):
The Goulds’ work was published in the multi-part book Zoology of the Voyage of H.M.S. Beagle, edited by Darwin. Elizabeth crafted lithographs for the book, including ones of the finches that would contribute to Darwin’s theory of evolution. "Elizabeth, with her husband, stood on the edge of Darwin's discoveries of evolution," Peck says.
I'll leave it up to you to improve the attribution by adding Elizabeth Gould's name to it if you feel the sources are adequate. Take care. -The Gnome (talk) 11:33, 10 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]
Yes, those sources are truly adequate. The page isn’t protected, so you’re very welcome to make the edit you suggested! Lova Falk (talk) 11:40, 10 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Wiki Education assignment: Biology Senior Capstone

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— Assignment last updated by Alejandro1306cs (talk) 18:39, 17 September 2025 (UTC)[reply]

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