ANT 301 Chapter Notes - Chapter 2: Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte De Buffon, Carl Linnaeus, Binomial Nomenclature
Document Summary
Natural selection- the most critical mechanism of evolutionary change, first described by charles darwin; refers to genetic change or changes in the frequencies of certain traits in populations due to differences in reproductive success between individuals. Fixity of species- the notion that species, once created, can never change; an idea diametrically opposed to theories of biological evolution. Copernicus is generally credited with removing the earth as the center of all things, and in the early 1600s, galileo restated copernicus" views in print, using logic and mathematics to support his claim. The seventeenth century saw the discovery of the principles of physics (such as motion and gravity) and numerous specific instruments, including the microscope were invented. John ray- developed the concept of species and was the first to use the labels genus and species. Reproductively isolated- pertaining to groups of organisms that, mainly because of genetic differences, are prevented from mating and producing offspring with members of other groups.
