Scientists Of Evolution Flashcards
Who are all the scientists of evolution we need to know
Buffon, Cuvier, Leyell, Lamarck, Darwin
What major observations did Buffon do
Suggested the earth was much older than 6000 years
First person to say humans and apes have a common ancestor
Noted that despite similar environments, different areas have different plants and animals
What major observations did Cuvier do
Developed the science of palaeontology - the study of fossils
The deeper each rock layer is, the less similar the organisms of that time were to today
Catastrophism, which was proposed by him, suggests that catastrophic events have killed a bunch of organisms and changed the geological structure of the earth
What major observations did Lyell do
First one to say that geological changes were slow and uniform rather than instantaneous due to catastrophes
What major observations did Lamarck do
-Line of descent” first one to say that organism evolution and changes can be traced through a series of fossils led to a modern species
- Change occurred because an animal passed on to it’s offspring physiological changes it had undergone in its own lifetime. - not totally true
- Vestigial structures- gradual disappearence of unnecessary organs
What major observations did Darwin do
• Descent and modification
1. Variation- a species must have different characteristics
2. Inheritance-this variation , is passed on to offspring
3. Overproduction- a species will make more offspring than can survive so the strongest live
4. Differential survival and reproduction - not all individuals live. The most fit survive and reproduce and pass on their traits to their offspring
