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James Ussher (1581-1656) By counting the generations of the Bible and adding them to modern history, he fixed the date of creation at October 23, 4004 B.C.
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He placed us in the order Primates (a larger, more inclusive category than our genus) along with all of the apes, monkeys, and prosimians.
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German Philosopher Immanuel Kant developed ideas that are very similar too Darwins thinking. He was born on April 22, 1724
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His most important contribution to science was his logical classification system for all living things which he proposed in his book Systema Naturae, first published in 1735
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Bonnet argued that females carry within them all future generations in a miniature form. He believed these miniature beings, sometimes called homonculi, would be able to survive even great cataclysms such as the biblical Flood; he predicted, moreover, that these catastrophes brought about evolutionary change, and that after the next disaster, men would become angels, mammals would gain intelligence, and so on.
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he speculated that the earth must be at least 75,000 years old. He also suggested that humans and apes are related.
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Erasmus was an English country physician, poet, and amateur scientist. He believed that evolution has occurred in living things, including humans, but he only had rather fuzzy ideas about what might be responsible for this change. He wrote of his ideas about evolution in poems and a relatively obscure two volume scientific publication entitled Zoonomia; or, the Laws of Organic Life (1794-1796).
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Malthus has become widely known for his theories about population and its increase or decrease in response to various factors. The six editions of his An Essay on the Principle of Population, published from 1798 to 1826, observed that sooner or later population gets checked by famine and disease.
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The first evolutionist who confidently and very publicly stated his ideas about the processes leading to biological change was a French protégé of the Comte de Buffon. He was Jean-Baptiste Chevalier de Lamarck
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Lamarck did not invent the idea of inheritance of acquired characteristics but stated it clearly and publicly in an 1809 publication entitled Philosophie Zoologique
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Charles Darwin is born
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Cuvier advocated the theory of catastrophism click this icon to hear the preceding term pronounced, as did most other leading scientists of his day. This held that there have been violent and sudden natural catastrophes such as great floods and the rapid formation of major mountain chains. Plants and animals living in those parts of the world where such events occurred were often killed off according to Cuvier. Then new life forms moved in from other areas. As a result, the fossil record for
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made the first clear statement about natural selection.[1] He applied the idea to the origin of different skin colours in human races, and from the context it seems he thought it might be applied more widely. Charles Darwin said: "[Wells] distinctly recognises the principle of natural selection, and this is the first recognition which has been indicated"
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He is best known for independently proposing a theory of evolution due to natural selection that prompted Charles Darwin to publish his own theory.
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Lyell provided conclusive evidence for the theory of uniformitarianism click this icon to hear the preceding term pronounced, which had been developed originally by the late 18th century Scottish geologist, James Hutton. This held that the natural forces now changing the shape of the earth's surface have been operating in the past much the same way. In other words, the present is the key to understanding the past.
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In 1831, he joined a five year scientific expedition on the survey ship HMS Beagle
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Influenced by the ideas of Malthus, he proposed a theory of evolution occurring by the process of natural selection. The animals (or plants) best suited to their environment are more likely to survive and reproduce, passing on the characteristics which helped them survive to their offspring. Gradually, the species changes over time.
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Darwin worked on his theory for 20 years. After learning that another naturalist, Alfred Russel Wallace, had developed similar ideas, the two made a joint announcement of their discovery in 1858. In 1859 Darwin published 'On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection'.
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During the 1860s, Wallace wrote papers and gave lectures defending natural selection. He also corresponded with Darwin about a variety of topics, including sexual selection, warning colouration, and the possible effect of natural selection on hybridisation and the divergence of species
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Charles Darwin Passes awasy
