Module 2 Flashcards
Definition of Evolution
A change in the genetic structure of a population sometimes results in the development of a new species.
Archbishop James Usher (early 1600’s)
Interested in how old the Earth was but couldn’t find how old the Earth was exactly and using the genealogy in the bible came to an age of around 6000 years old.
John Ray mid-17th-century minister and naturalist
first to develop the concept of species and genus
Species
a group of plants or animals that can be distinguished from other groups by their ability to mate with one another AND produce viable offspring
Genus
Groups of related species
What did John Ray publish in 1691?
The Wisdom of God Manifested in Works of Creation (determination of species but no concept of species change.)
Who is Carolus Linnaeus?
born in the early to mid 18th century, Linnaeus was a naturalist dubbed the “Father of Taxonomy” who developed a classification system for plants and animals still in use today.
What did Carolus Linnaeus publish in 1735?
Systema Natvrae which established the basis of classification of life and how we name creatures even to this day.
Binomial Nomenclature
The use of both genus and species names in naming a species (ie. Homo sapiens.)
Who was George-Louis Leclerc de Buffon
a man who lived in the mid 18th century and was a keeper of the King’s gardens. Recognized that there is an everchanging relationship between the environment and the organisms that live in it. He believed that when creatures moved to new areas they would eventually adapt to their surroundings.
Who was Jean-Baptiste Lamark
He was an early 19th-century naturalist who was the first to attempt to explain species change.
Lamarck’s Theory of the Inheritance of Acquired Characteristics
Species physically adapted to their environments in which change in an animal’s activity patterns would result in the increased or decreased use of certain body parts and as a result, these body parts would be modified. The changes would make the animal better suited to its environment and the new trait would be passed on to its offspring, explaining why species changed over time.
Who was Georges Cuvier?
He was an early 19th-century vertebrae paleontologist who first introduced the concept of species extinction of the world.
Cuvier’s Theory of Catastrophism
All of the earth’s geological features were the result of sudden, worldwide catastrophes ( such as the biblical Noah’s flood). All organisms would be wiped out in certain areas and new organisms migrate in from unaffected areas. These species were more modern in appearance because of more recent creation events by God.
Who was Charles Lyell?
a mid-19th-century geologist dubbed the “Father of Modern Geology”. He developed the modern geologic principles that impacted the time frame of species change. In the 1930’s he wrote the principles of geology. He was also friends with Charles Darwin.
