Charles Darwin’s foundational evolutionary theories inherently recognized sex variance in nature, dismantling fixed biological categories long before modern queer natural history began documenting them, according to research detailed by Dr. Ross Brooks in Darwin and the Queer Origins of Life: A History of Sex and Science, published by Yale University Press.
Rediscovering Queer Natural History in Darwin’s Work
Modern explorations of queerness in the natural world draw inspiration from foundational texts like Bruce Bagemihl’s Biological Exuberance and Joan Roughgarden’s Evolution’s Rainbow, alongside more recent works such as Eliot Schrefer’s Queer Ducks (And Other Animals) and Josh Luke Davis’s A Little Gay Natural History. Reflecting on his own upbringing in the 1970s and 1980s, when being queer was frequently labeled “against nature,” Dr. Ross Brooks undertook a 15-year academic journey culminating in a PhD to investigate why nature’s pervasive sexual diversity was suppressed or ignored for centuries.
Brooks’s research highlights that Darwin’s own observations implicitly challenged rigid definitions of sexual characteristics and reproduction. Darwin famously wrote that “[e]very animal surely is hermaphrodite,” viewing biological traits as remarkably fluid rather than permanently fixed. During the 19th century, the term “queer” was occasionally applied to these unorthodox ideas surrounding sexual evolution.
Did you know? Charles Darwin installed a pigeon house at Down House, joining London pigeon clubs and corresponding with breeders to study the plasticity of species under artificial selection—insights that directly shaped his theories on natural selection.
Lydia Ernestine Becker and the Challenge to Human Binaries
While Darwin remained somewhat hesitant to extend his biological observations of sexual diversity directly to humans, his contemporaries harbored no such reservations. English suffragist and botanist Lydia Ernestine Becker corresponded with Darwin and read his published works closely, according to the research.
In a controversial 1868 lecture, Becker argued that “the attribute of sex does not extend to mind.” To support her argument, she pointed to female plants exhibiting the same vigor as males, queen bees leading hives, and female raptors like eagles and sparrowhawks growing larger than males. Becker also highlighted human examples, such as Mary Walker, a woman who lived as a man while working as a ship stoker, railway porter, barman, and sailor. Becker concluded that human minds could not be cleanly separated into binary male and female categories, proposing instead that numerous intermediate varieties existed.
Surprising Discoveries: Male Mouthbrooding in Catfish
As Darwin gathered evidence for his 1868 two-volume work, The Variation of Animals and Plants under Domestication, he corresponded extensively with international scientists. North American anatomist Jeffries Wyman shared a groundbreaking discovery in December 1860 regarding males of certain catfish species in the family Siluridae from Guiana, which stored eggs and developing young in their mouths.
This early documentation of male parental care—specifically buccal incubation—stunned Darwin. Wyman had previously discussed the finding at a September 1857 meeting of the Boston Society of Natural History and published it in the American Journal of Science and Arts in 1859. Upon learning of the observation, Darwin wrote to Wyman: “You cannot tell how much your paper on Gestation has interested me,” adding the famous exclamation, “How facts do beat the wildest imagination!”
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Dr. Ross Brooks argue about Darwin’s evolutionary theories?
Dr. Ross Brooks argues that Darwin’s observations inherently unsettled fixed categories of sexual characteristics and behavior, demonstrating a deep appreciation for biological plasticity and sex variance in the natural world.
Who was Lydia Ernestine Becker?
Lydia Ernestine Becker was an English suffragist and botanist who corresponded with Charles Darwin and argued in 1868 that human minds cannot be strictly divided into binary male and female categories.
How did Jeffries Wyman contribute to Darwin’s research?
Jeffries Wyman, a North American anatomist, informed Darwin about male mouthbrooding behavior in specific catfish species, providing a striking example of male parental care that deeply fascinated Darwin.
Explore the Origins of Science and Nature
Understanding the historical intersections of science, gender variance, and evolutionary theory offers new perspectives on how life sciences developed. To dive deeper into these historical narratives, explore our related articles on evolutionary biology, or subscribe to our newsletter for weekly updates on science history.
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