Would Jenyns rather than Darwin have developed the origin of species concept?
Even though Jenyns was interested in species variation (he read a paper on “The Variation of Species” to the Cheltenham meeting of the British Association for the Advancement of Science in 1856, a paper that Darwin asked Jenyns to send him), I think it unlikely. In addition to his religious background, Jenyns was essentially a field naturalist and lacked the breadth of vision needed to develop such a theory. Oddly enough, though, Jenyns was a far better field naturalist than Darwin. Henslow’s letter to Darwin re the Beagle appointment read: “I have stated that I consider you to be the best qualified person I know of who is likely to undertake such a situation-I state this not on the supposition of your being a finished Naturalist, but as amply qualified for collecting, observing and noting anything worthy to be noted in Natural History. … Captain F. wants a man … more as a companion than as a mere collector and would not take anyone however good a Naturalist who was not recommended
