Charles Darwin was stumped by peacocks. According to his theory of evolution, some creatures were better equipped to survive in their particular environment than others. It explained a lot – but it didn’t explain the peacock’s brightly coloured tail feathers, which were extravagant and cumbersome. Surely such plumage made it harder for peacocks to survive?
It so happens that the life of Darwin’s own grandfather offered clues to the puzzle of the peacock’s tail – if only he’d known to look there…
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Further reading
Two excellent biographies of Josiah Wedgwood are The Radical Potter by Tristram Hunt, and Brian Dolan’s Josiah Wedgwood: Entrepreneur to the Enlightenment.
Desmond King-Hele’s biography of Erasmus Darwin is called Erasmus Darwin: A Life of Unequalled Achievement.
Darwin and the Making of Sexual Selection by Evelleen Richards is a comprehensive account of the genesis and impact of Charles Darwin’s theory. The Mating Mind by Geoffrey Miller further explores links between Darwin’s theory and ideas related to conspicuous consumption.
