BIOL 3200 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Georges Cuvier, Comparative Anatomy, Escalator
Document Summary
Organisms on the lower part of the escalator would eventually transformed to those higher up through the process of evolution. Naturalists argued that the structure of a part determined its function. Lamarck argued the opposite, saying that new functions and habits are what led to changes in structure. So, deviation from the great chain of being gave evidence of evolution by inheritance of characteristic. Believed there was no extinction, species just evolved into something else. Georges cuvier built up biological system based on comparative anatomy. Respo(cid:374)sible for (cid:862)higher orga(cid:374)is(cid:373)s -respo(cid:374)sible for (cid:862)lo(cid:449)er(cid:863) i(cid:374)(cid:448)ertebrates. Was a fixist - was an evolutionist. Claimed there had been many - denied species extinction mass extinctions. Had reputation as patient observer - had reputation as someone who who stuck to facts speculated and used scanty data. Cuvier believed history of nature was not gradual, continuous from beginning to present.
