Edward Forbes (12 February 1815 - 18 November 1854) was a naturalist born in Douglas, the son of a banker, who became one of the leading marine biologists and paleontologists of his generation. His 1838 Malacologia Monensis catalogued Manx molluscs, and he went on to become curator at the Geological Society of London, professor of botany at King's College London, and finally Professor of Natural History at Edinburgh University shortly before his early death. His 1846 theory on the ice-age redistribution of montane species anticipated ideas later credited to Charles Darwin, who acknowledged Forbes's priority.