BIO152H5 Lecture Notes - Lecture 8: Paleontology, Uniformitarianism, Carl Linnaeus
Document Summary
Lec 08: intro to evolution theory is widely accepted and unifying, many scientists have tested and agree with it evolutionists predate darwin, geologists looking at changes in planet and fossils. Judeo-christian culture: account of creation, all individually designed and permanent. Plato: idealism (organisms created by creator, no room for change) Aristotle: species are fixed and arranged on ladder of increasing complexity. Linnaeus: classification scheme to reveal god"s plan. Hutton: earth"s geology explained through gradual changes. Cuvier: paleontologist, opposed evolution and proposed catastrophism. Lyell: uniformitarianism, mechanism of change is constant over time. Darwin vs. lamarck- variation is inherited, not acquired. Charles darwin first to observe change based on hypotheses initiated scientific study of evolution collecting and observing organisms on beagle observed iguanas, finches on galapagos islands. Concluded that the finches had common ancestor but changed over time, descent with modification read malthus"s essay on population and proposed natural selection.
