-
Linnaeus
Developed classification system to name living things and group them by physical similarities -
Buffon
published “Histoire Naturelle” that proposed species shared ancestors instead of arising separately -
Hutton
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. -
Erasmus Darwin
Darwin’s grandfather, who published a book called “Zoonomia” that proposed that all living things were descended from a common ancestor. -
Lamarck
Published book called “Philosophie Zoologique”, which proposed the theory that all organisms evolved toward perfection and complexity -
Cuvier
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. -
Lyell
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”