On the Origin of Species by Alfred Russel Wallace, claimed that patterns in the geographical distribution of living and fossil species could be explained if every new species always came into existence near an already existing, closely related species. Charles Lyell recognised the implications of Wallace's paper and its possible connection to Darwin's work, although Darwin did not, and in a letter written on 1–2 May 1856 Lyell urged Darwin to publish his theory to establish priority. Darwin was torn between the desire to set out a full and convincing account and the pressure to quickly produce a short paper. He met Lyell, and in
Essay on the Origin of Languages Essay on the Origin of Languages Essay on the Origin of Languages () is an essay by Jean-Jacques Rousseau published posthumously in 1781. Rousseau had meant to publish the essay in a short volume which was also to include essays "On Theatrical Imitation" and "The Levite of Ephraim." In the preface to this would-be volume, Rousseau wrote that the "Essay" was originally meant to be included in the "Discourse on Inequality", but was omitted because it "was too long and out of place". The essay was mentioned in Rousseau's 1762 book, "Emile". In this text, Rousseau lays out a narrative