Charles Darwin. © Natural History Museum

A new display has opened at the Natural History Museum to celebrate 150 years since the theory of natural selection was revealed to the world.

The small exhibition marking this event includes pigeon bones prepared by Charles Darwin as well as the original copies of the scientific article he presented alongside the less well-known figure in the story, Alfred Russell Wallace. The variety of items on display show how the two men worked in different ways to arrive at the same conclusions.

Their theory of natural selection was presented to a meeting of the Linnean Society on July 1 1958. This joint lecture followed Wallace having submitted his work on the subject to them. This was recognised as being similar to ideas developed by Darwin 20 years previously although at the time Darwin had yet to publish his theory.

Alfred Wallace. © Natural History Museum

Following the presentation, the society published the papers, which marked a shift in the way biology was studied and used to explain the plant and animal worlds.

Natural selection outlines how the fittest individuals of a species are more likely to survive and continue to pass on their beneficial characteristics to future generations. This became the cornerstone of the wider theory of evolution.

The small display gives a taste of what the museum has planned for the Darwin 200 celebrations. These mark 200 years since the birth of Charles Darwin on February 12 2009 and 150 years since the publication of his On The Origin Of Species.

Celebrations proper begin in November 2008 at the Natural History Museum with the opening of a major exhibition at the museum devoted to Charles Darwin and his work.

The Linnean Society of London also marked yesterday's historic anniversary with a special meeting and talk at Burlington House, London given by Prof. Allen Orr from the University of Rochester, England and Professor Gareth Nelson from the University of Melbourne.

For more information on Darwin 200 see www.darwin200.org.