BIOL 203 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Creator Deity, Plate Tectonics, Spontaneous Generation
Document Summary
Scientific theories: copernicus sun is at the center of the solar system, newton law of motion and gravitation, evolution by natural selection, plate tectonics, einstein"s general relativity theory. Evolution is the grand unifying theory of biology. Diversity of life: basic observation of life. Apparent level of complexity: creation story. World looks about the same as the day it was made: classical thought. Plato god made planet out of pre-existing material: forms imperfect creations(or forms) resemble the one perfect creation with some variations, change is associated with particulars, not with forms, typological thinking species are unchanging. Aristotle great change of being : species organized into a sequence, bigger more complex organisms are higher on the chain. Cultural change during renaissance/early modern periods (14th-18th century: lays groundwork for modern evolutionary theory. Individuals within population vary in their traits: some trait differences are heritable, only some individuals survive and reproduce. Individuals with a certain trait are more likely to survive and reproduce.
