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James Ussher
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. -
John Ray
He placed us in the order Primates (a larger, more inclusive category than our genus) along with all of the apes, monkeys, and prosimians. -
Immanuel Kant's birth
German Philosopher Immanuel Kant developed ideas that are very similar too Darwins thinking. He was born on April 22, 1724 -
Carolus Linnaeus
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 -
Charlds Bonnet
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. -
Comte de Buffon
he speculated that the earth must be at least 75,000 years old. He also suggested that humans and apes are related. -
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). -
Thomas Malthus
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. -
Jean-Baptiste Chevalier de 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. He was Jean-Baptiste Chevalier de Lamarck -
Jean-Baptiste Lamarck
Lamarck did not invent the idea of inheritance of acquired characteristics but stated it clearly and publicly in an 1809 publication entitled Philosophie Zoologique -
Charles Darwin
Charles Darwin is born -
George Cuvier
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 -
William Charles Wells
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" -
Alfred Wallace
He is best known for independently proposing a theory of evolution due to natural selection that prompted Charles Darwin to publish his own theory. -
Charles Lyell
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. -
Darwins voyage
In 1831, he joined a five year scientific expedition on the survey ship HMS Beagle -
Darwins theory
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. -
Darwin publishes
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'. -
Alfred Wallace
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 -
Darwins death
Charles Darwin Passes awasy
