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James Ussher
Annals of the world is his theory. it's about God created an infinite and continuous series of life forms, from simplest to most complex, and that all organisms, including humans. -
John Ray
The concept of genus and species was actually developed in the late 1600's by John Ray, an English naturalist and ordained minister. Between 1660 and 1671 he made many trips throughout England, and one trip to Europe, to collect plants, animals, and rocks. He also did experimental work in embryology and plant physiology; among other things, he proved that the wood of a living tree conducts water. -
Carolus Linnaeus
Carl Linnaeus, also known as Carl von Linné or Carolus Linnaeus, is often called the Father of Taxonomy. His ideas on classification have influenced generations of biologists during and after his own lifetime. -
Comte De Buffon
Comte De Bufon said that living things do change through time. He speculated that this was somehow a result of influences from the environment or even chance. He believed that the earth must be much older than 6000 years. He also suggested that humans and apes are related. -
James Hutton
the theory is about 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. -
Erasmus Darwin
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). In this latter work, he also suggested that the earth and life on it must have been evolving for "m -
George Cuvier
Georges Cuvier possessed one of the finest minds in history. Almost single-handedly, he founded vertebrate paleontology as a scientific discipline and created the comparative method of organismal biology, an incredibly powerful tool. It was Cuvier who firmly established the fact of the extinction of past lifeforms. He contributed an immense amount of research in vertebrate and invertebrate zoology and paleontology, and also wrote and lectured on the history of science. -
Jean-Baptiste Lamarck
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. Unfortunately, his theory about these processes was incorrect. Lamarck believed that microscopic organisms appear spontaneously from inanimate materials and then transmute, or evolve, gradually and progressively into more complex forms through a constant striving for perfection. -
Charles Darwin
Naturalist Charles Darwin went on a several-year voyage around South America on the HMS Beagle. He made many geographic observations, involving the distinct adaptations that animals in different areas had developed. He spent the next 20 - 25 years after his voyage developing his theories, and finally published his work when he realized his ideas were becoming more commonly known. -
Charles Darwin Sets Sail on the HMS Beagle
It was a 5 year voyage around th world, specifically around the coast of South America. Darwin came up with his theory of evolution by natural selection while in the Galapagos Island when he saw the different species of finches and tortoises. -
Charles Lyell
Charles Lyell conclude that Cuvier's catastrophism theory was wrong. He believed that there primarily have been slower, progressive changes. Lyell documented the fact that the earth must be very old and that it has been subject to the same sort of natural processes in the past that operate today in shaping the land. -
Charles Darwin
Charles Darwin spent 15 years after his voyage conducting extensive experiments with plants to find evidence to back up his theory. -
The Structure and Distribution of Coal Reefs
Charles Darwin published 'The Structure and Distribution of Coal Reefs'. He worked on this for 3 years. -
Charles Darwin's Final Research
He spent 8 years of work on studying barnicles and when he recieved a letter from Wallace he finally published his 240 page essay on natural selection (The Origin of Species).
