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Developed classification system to name living things and group them by physical similarities -
published “Histoire Naturelle” that proposed species shared ancestors instead of arising separately -
Published “Theory of the Earth”, and stated that Earth was very old and that geologic change occurred gradually, instead of by single large scale events. -
Darwin’s grandfather, who published a book called “Zoonomia” that proposed that all living things were descended from a common ancestor. -
Published book called “Philosophie Zoologique”, which proposed the theory that all organisms evolved toward perfection and complexity -
Wrote essay about the Theory of the Earth, which stated that each rock layer had its own types of fossils. New species result from other species moving into area after a catastrophic event, not from species already in rock layer. -
Published “Principles of Geology”, and stated that the Earth is very old, that changes occur at constant rate, and the present geological processes area “key to the past”