Fossils and Evolutionists Flashcards
What were fossils supposedly produced by when people first found them?
Fossils were considered to be produced by spontaneous generation, a supernatural product, or mythology.
Who developed the 1st principle of geology?
Nicolaus Steno.
What was the first principle of geology?
Lower sediments are older than higher sediments.
When did people start beginning to believe fossils were from ancient life?
The 1800s
Who was William Smith?
A surveyor who developed the 1st geological map. He also noted similar rock strata between locations and used fossils to indicate these strata’s.
What is a rock strata?
Stacked up layers of sedimentary rocks.
Who was Charles Lyell?
A geologist who developed the concepts of sediment and erosion.
Who was Mary Anning?
A fossil hunter who sold fossils and came up with the idea of coprolites.
What are coprolites?
Fossil feces.
Who was Thomas Huxley?
A geologist who considered the Archaeopteryx to be a link between dinosaurs and birds.
Why is the Archaeopteryx so important?
It was the 1st bird to have feathers and dinosaur traits.
Who was Jean Baptiste Lamarck?
An anatomist who developed the theory of acquired characteristics.
What was the theory of acquired characteristics?
Adapted changes can be passed down.
What was the 3 blind mice experiment?
Mice were raised and had their tail lengths measured before getting their tails cut off. These mice bred and eventually the mice didn’t have tails.
What are Darwin and Wallace most known for?
Natural selection
When did Darwin and Dallas co-publish the theory of natural selection?
1858
What are some Darwin facts?
-Uninterested in school
-Went to med school but left and studied natural history and theology
-Invited to be a naturalist on a ship going to South America from 1831 to 1836
-Collected thousands of rocks, plants, animals, and fossils
What are some Wallace facts?
-Middle class
-Trained with his brothers in surveying
-Collected insects
-Met Samuel Stevens and agreed to sell beetle collection to continue work
-Went into the amazon in 1847 and collected exotic species
-Ship caught fire when returning home making him lose his samples
-Published a map on Rio Negro
-Spent 8 years in Indonesia with his assistant Ali
