BIO152H5 Lecture Notes - Lecture 9: Uniformitarianism, Carl Linnaeus, Falsifiability
Document Summary
Ladder of life versus evolutionary tree of life. Fossils show the change in species over time. Geology shows what happened to species. Pre-darwinian views largely based on religious beliefs through philosophers. Aristotle (384-322bc) believed species were fixed and arranged on a ladder of increasing complexity. Judeo-christian culture account of creation all species were individually designed and permanent. Linnaeus (1707-1778) developed classification scheme to reveal god"s plan. Hutton (1726-1797) earth"s geological features explained by gradual mechanisms operating in the past and present. Malthus (1766-1834) essay on the principle of population. Cuvier (1769-1832) paleontologist: opposed evolution, proposed catastrophism. Charles lyell (1797-1875) uniformitarianism: mechanism of change is constant over time. Jean-baptiste de lamarck (1744-1829: first to use the term evolution", organisms has an innate drive to become more complex, first to provide causal mechanism; spontaneous generation (ladder of life) Organisms progress to higher and higher levels: lamarckian evolution ladder of life.
