scientific contributions and early ideas

Question 1

evolution

Answer 1

process of genetic change in a population overtime

Question 2

georges louis leclerc

1707-1788

Answer 2

• first person to challenge the idea that life forms are unchanging
• noted similarities between humans and apes, speculating that they have a common ancestor, suggesting species change overtime

Question 3

georges cuvier

1769-1832

Answer 3

• developed paleontology: study of ancient life through fossils
• found that each layer of rock had a different group of fossils: deeper the layer, less alike they were to modern life; new species appeared as others diappeared, proving extinction
• cuvier believed that species remain unchanged overtime, explained it with the theory of catastrophism

Question 4

cuvier

catastrophism

Answer 4

catastrophic evenets caused extinction of a species then replaced by a new species

Question 5

james hutton and charles lyell

1795-1830

Answer 5

• hutton stated geological formation of land forms are the result of slow processes
• lyell examined fossil deposits, stated the earth’s surface undergoes slow, gradual changes
• developed uniformitarianism

Question 6

august wiesmann

Answer 6

• concluded body changes were not transmitted from one generation to the next.
• showed that it is only material in a sperm and egg that pass onto the next generation.

Question 7

lyell

uniformitarianism

Answer 7

geological changes are slow and continuous

Question 8

jean baptiste lamarck

1744-1829

Answer 8

• first biologist to recognize the role the environment played in evolution, for species to survive, they must adapt to changing environment
• developed line of descent and inheritance of acquired traits

Question 9

lamarck

line of descent

Answer 9

old fossils lead to modern species, increasing in complexity overtime

Question 10

lamarck

inheritance of acquired traits

Answer 10

organisms become better adapted to their environments and these traits are passed onto their offspring

Question 11

charles darwin

1809-1882

Answer 11

• sailed on the HMS Beagle
• developed theory of evolution by natural selection, survival of the fittest, and descent with modifictation

Question 12

darwin

theory of evolution by natural selection

Answer 12

explains how life has changed and continues to change

Question 13

darwin

survival of the fittest

Answer 13

organisms with beneficial traits that help them survive have an increased chance of reproduction

aka natural selection

Question 14

darwin

descent with modification

Answer 14

theory that natural selection does not demonstrate progress but results in the ability to survive local environmental conditions