Thomas Henry Huxley

Thomas Henry Huxley PC PRS (4 May 1825 – 29 June 1895) was an English biologist who specialised in comparative anatomy. He was born in Ealing, Middlesex. He was a friend and supporter of Charles Darwin, and had a public career. He was a member of ten Royal Commissions.

Today he is sometimes called Darwin's Bulldog for his support of Charles Darwin's theory of evolution.^[1] However, this term was not used during his lifetime.^[2] Huxley was slow to accept some of Darwin's ideas, but he was wholehearted in his public support of Darwin.

Huxley's 1860 debate with the English Bishop Samuel Wilberforce was a famous public event. The debate was about evolution, and it was widely reported in the press. Many thought Huxley won that debate, which helped Huxley's career, and the theory of evolution.

Huxley also developed scientific education in Britain, and fought against the more extreme forms of religion. These activities had a big effect on the way people in Britain and elsewhere thought about the world. Huxley used the term agnostic to say that he did not know if there is a god or not. We continue to use the term agnostic today. Huxley was for many years a close friend of the Irish physicist John Tyndall.

Huxley had little schooling, and taught himself almost everything he knew. Remarkably, he became a great anatomist and zoologist. Later, he discussed the evolution of man and the apes. Another of his ideas was that birds evolved from small carnivorous dinosaurs, which is now known to be true.^[3]^[4]

Huxley died in Eastbourne, Sussex. Three of his grandsons became famous in the 20th century.

↑ Encyclopædia Britannica Online 2006
↑ van Wyhe, John 2019. Why there was no 'Darwin's Bulldog'. Linnaean Society 35, 1. [1]
↑ Foster, Michael & Lankester, E. Ray 2007. The scientific memoirs of Thomas Henry Huxley. 4 vols and supplement, London: Macmillan (published 1898–1903). ISBN 1-4326-4011-9
↑ Paul G. 2002. Dinosaurs of the Air: the evolution and loss of flight in dinosaurs and birds. p171–224 Johns Hopkins, Baltimore. ISBN 0-8018-6763-0

[1] Encyclopædia Britannica Online 2006

[2] van Wyhe, John 2019. Why there was no 'Darwin's Bulldog'. Linnaean Society 35, 1. [1]

[3] Foster, Michael & Lankester, E. Ray 2007. The scientific memoirs of Thomas Henry Huxley. 4 vols and supplement, London: Macmillan (published 1898–1903). ISBN 1-4326-4011-9

[4] Paul G. 2002. Dinosaurs of the Air: the evolution and loss of flight in dinosaurs and birds. p171–224 Johns Hopkins, Baltimore. ISBN 0-8018-6763-0

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