Biology 11 University Name:

SBI3U101 Unit 3 – Evolution Date:

8.1 Scientific Contributions to a Theory of Evolution

John Ray (1627-1705)
John Ray was the first person to publish a widely accepted definition of the word species.
His definition made it clear that any seed from the same plant was the same species, even if
it had different traits.

Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon (1707-1788)

Georges Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon influenced Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel
Wallace's ideas of Natural Selection. He incorporated ideas of "lost species" that Darwin
studied and related to fossils. However, he publicly rejected the idea that species
could evolve into other species.

Mary Anning (1799-1847)

Mary Anning was credited with the discovery of several dinosaur specimens that assisted in
the early development of paleontology.

Catastrophism: Georges Cuvier (1769-1832)

Catastrophism was a theory developed by Georges Cuvier based on paleontological
evidence in the Paris Basin. ... This led Cuvier to develop a theory
called catastrophism. Catastrophism states that natural history has been punctuated
by catastrophic events that altered that way life developed and rocks were deposited.

Uniformitarianism: Charles Lyell (1797-1875)

Lyell argued that the formation of Earth's crust took place through countless small changes
occurring over vast periods of time, all according to known natural laws. His
"uniformitarian" proposal was that the forces molding the planet today have operated
continuously throughout its history.

Line of Descent: Jean-Baptiste Lamarck (1744-1829)

Jean Baptiste Lamarck (1744-1829) is one of the best-known early evolutionists.
Unlike Darwin, Lamarck believed that living things evolved in a continuously upward
direction, from dead matter, through simple to more complex forms, toward human
"perfection." Species didn't die out in extinctions, Lamarck claimed.

Evolution by Natural Selection

Thomas Malthus (1766-1834)

He published the Principle of Population where he made the observations that the human
race would be likely to overproduce if the population size was not kept under
control. Malthus then focused his studies on the human race.  He was best known for his
theory that population growth will always tend to outrun the food supply and that betterment
of humankind is impossible without strict limits on reproduction.

Charles Darwin (1809-1882)

Charles Darwin was a British naturalist who proposed the theory of biological evolution by

natural selection. Darwin defined evolution as "descent with modification," the idea that
species change over time, give rise to new species, and share a common ancestor.

Alfred Russel Wallace (1823-1913)

Alfred Wallace co-developed the theory of natural selection and evolution with Charles
Darwin, who is most often credited with the idea. to adjust to new surroundings or a new
situation. a group of closely scattered islands in a large body of water.