Unit 3-Lesson 3

Question 1

Who is John Ray and how did he contribute to science? (1627-1795)

Answer 1

• One of the first scientists to carry out empirical studies on nature
• Developed classification system for plants and animal, based on anatomy and physiology

Question 2

Who is Georges-Louis Leclerc and how did he contribute to science? (1707-1788)

Answer 2

• He challenged the idea that life form are unchanging
• He noted the similarities between human and apes
• He speculated that earth was more that 6000 years

Question 3

Who is Mary Anning and how did she contribute to science? (1799-1847)

Answer 3

• Worked as a fossil hunter and uncovered the first plesiosaur
  
  • Her work was confirmed by Georges Cuvier, the founder “palaeontology” (the study of ancient life through fossils)

Question 4

Who is Georges Cuvier and how did he contribute to science? (1769-1832)

Answer 4

• Founder of the field of palaeontology (study of fossils)
  
  • discovered that each stratum (layer) rock held in a unique group of fossil species
  • discovered that the oldest fossil are in the deepest layer
  • suggested catastrophes killed many species (catastrophism) and that these events corresponded to the boundaries between the fossil strata

Question 5

Who is Charales Lyell and how did he contribute to science? (1797-1875)

Answer 5

• He rejected Cuvier’s theory of catoshrophism
• Agreed that earth was more than 6000 years old
• He proposed the theory uniformitarianism:
  
  • geological processes in the past operate at the same rate as they do today
  • suggested that a slow and continuous process could result in a substantial changes in the long term

Question 6

Who is Jean-Baptiste Lamarck and how did he contribute to science? (1744-1829)

Answer 6

• Proposed a “life of descent” progression between current species and fossil forms
• Suggested species increased in complexity and became better adapted to their environment over time
• Proposed the idea of the inheritance of acquired characteristics whereby characteristics acquired during an organisms lifetime could be passed on offspring

Question 7

Who is Charles Darwin and how did he contribute to science? (1809-1882)

Answer 7

• Travelled the coast of South America and made natural and geographical observations
  
  • used these observations to propose the “theory of natural selection” - life has change and continues to change, due to natural pressures

Question 8

What were Darwins Observation?

Answer 8

Flora and Fauna of the different regions were distinct from those in Europe

Fossils of extinct animals looked very similar to living animals

Finches and other animals Darwin saw on the Galapagos Islands closely resembled animals he had observed on the west coast of south America

Through his experience with artificial selection (breeding pigeons and studying dogs and flowers), he knew it was possible for traits to be passed down from parent to offspring