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George John Romanes (1848-1894) was an eminent Victorian-era scientist and evolutionary biologist, whose work contributed significantly to the field of comparative psychology and the theory of evolution. As a close friend and confidant of Charles Darwin, he was among the first to extend Darwin's theory of natural selection into the domain of mental processes and behavior, and he played a pivotal role in the development of the discipline that would come to be called evolutionary psychology. Romanes is best known for introducing the term 'physiological selection' to explain certain evolutionary mechanisms not covered by Darwin's original formulations.
His written works, most notably 'The Scientific Evidences of Organic Evolution' (1882), furthered the public understanding of Darwinian evolutionary theory. In this book, Romanes systematically laid out the empirical support for evolution, addressing not only biological adaptations but also critiquing the arguments made by opponents of evolutionary theory. His approach combined rigorous scientific inquiry with a clear and accessible style of writing, making the subject matter comprehensible to a broad audience. Romanes's literary contribution is characterized by a methodical examination of facts and a thoughtful contemplation of life's complexity, marking him as a significant figure in the advancement of 19th-century scientific thought.
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