Past to Present: The Theory of Evolution by Means of Natural Selection - By Tyler Biddulph
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Buffon suggests that humans and apes may have shared a common ancestor due to their similar structure.
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Buffons work led him to the theory that the earth was much older than 6000 years old. Back in the 17th century, it was generally accepted that the earth was about 6000 years old, so Buffons idea was scoffed at (at first).
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Lamarck beleived that species increased in complexity over time until they reached a certain level of perfection, at which they would be better suited to survive in their environment.
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Vuvier discovers that deeper sediment layers held very different, unique, and undiscovered fossil types than those found in newer layers.
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Lamarck came to the conclusion that any characteristics that a species acquired during it's lifetime could be passed on to their offspriing. This theory was called "Inheritence of Acquired Characteristics."
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Cuvier suggested that the earth experienced several destructive events in the past that resulted in the extinction of all the older species that once lived on the earth and caused earth's land masses to change form.
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Lyell deemed Cuviers theory of catastrophic events untrue and proposed that the earths changes operate at a slow and gradual pace rather than a sudden one. He beleived that that the forces that shaped the earth in the past were no different from those in the present.
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Charles Darwin joined a British survey ship on an expedition to various countries and geographical locations. Upon visiting these areas, he discovered that the flora and fauna of different region were distinct, even though they were of the same species/genus.
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Darwin came to the idea that species perfected themselves by means of natural selection: Those capable of surviving in their environment and passing on their traits through sexual reproduction would prosper and those who could not were eventually wiped out.
