Who is the founder of uniformitarianism?
Coined by William Whewell, it was originally proposed in contrast to catastrophism by British naturalists in the late 18th century, starting with the work of the geologist James Hutton in his many books including Theory of the Earth.
What did James Hutton discover?
Lived 1726 – 1797. James Hutton transformed our concepts of the earth and the universe by deciphering the message carried by common rocks. He discovered that our planet is enormously older than people believed. He gathered evidence with his own eyes rather than relying on what 'everyone knows' or the written word.
When was uniformitarianism discovered?
The idea that the laws that govern geologic processes have not changed during Earth's history was first expressed by Scottish geologist James Hutton, who in 1785 presented his ideas—later published in two volumes as Theory of the Earth (1795)—at meetings of the Royal Society of Edinburgh.
What was James Hutton’s theory?
Hutton proposed that the interior of the Earth was hot, and that this heat was the engine which drove the creation of new rock: land was eroded by air and water and deposited as layers in the sea; heat then consolidated the sediment into stone, and uplifted it into new lands.
Who is James Hutton and what his contribution?
Hutton's contributions James Hutton was a Scottish geologist, chemist, naturalist, and originator of one of the fundamental principles of geology—uniformitarianism, which explains the features of Earth's crust by means of natural processes over geologic time.
What did William Smith discover?
William 'Strata' Smith (23 March 1769 – 28 August 1839) was an English geologist, credited with creating the first detailed, nationwide geological map of any country.
What is Charles Lyell’s theory?
Lyell argued that the formation of Earth's crust took place through countless small changes occurring over vast periods of time, all according to known natural laws. His "uniformitarian" proposal was that the forces molding the planet today have operated continuously throughout its history.
Who is James Hutton and what’s his contribution?
James Hutton (1726 – 1797) is best known for his important contributions to the science of geology (uniformitarianism and the great age of the earth). However, Hutton was also the first person to propose a mechanism of natural selection to account for evolutionary change over time.
What did Hutton and Lyell determine?
Hutton and Lyell concluded that the Earth is extremely old and that the processes that changed the Earth in the past were the same processes that operate in the present.
What did Alfred Wegener discover?
Alfred Lothar Wegener Wegener was a German meteorologist, geophysicist and polar researcher. In 1915 he published 'The Origin of Continents and Oceans', which outlined his theory of Continental Drift.
How did James Hutton help Darwin?
It was Lyell's book, but Hutton's ideas, that inspired Darwin to incorporate the concept of an "ancient" mechanism that had been at work since the beginning of the Earth in his own world-changing book, "The Origin of the Species." Thus, Hutton's concepts indirectly sparked the idea of natural selection for Darwin.
Who was W A Smith?
William 'Strata' Smith (23 March 1769 – 28 August 1839) was an English geologist, credited with creating the first detailed, nationwide geological map of any country….William Smith (geologist)
| William Smith | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | English |
| Known for | Geological map of England and Wales |
| Awards | Wollaston Medal (1831) |
| Scientific career |
What did William Smith contribute to evolution?
Smith deduced that each rock strata could be individually identified by its fossils, and this idea was crystallized in his law of faunal succession, the seed of modern biostratigraphy and one of the foundations in the development of the theory of biological evolution.
What is Jean Baptiste Lamarck known for?
Jean Baptiste Lamarck (1744-1829) is one of the best-known early evolutionists. Unlike Darwin, Lamarck believed that living things evolved in a continuously upward direction, from dead matter, through simple to more complex forms, toward human "perfection." Species didn't die out in extinctions, Lamarck claimed.
What did Alfred Wallace discover?
Alfred Russel Wallace discovered the concept of evolution by natural selection. Although now rarely mentioned as the discoverer (Darwin, who discovered the theory independently, is usually cited) Wallace enjoyed a high reputation in his lifetime and received many of science's most prestigious awards.
What is the doctrine of uniformitarianism?
uniformitarianism, in geology, the doctrine suggesting that Earth's geologic processes acted in the same manner and with essentially the same intensity in the past as they do in the present and that such uniformity is sufficient to account for all geologic change.
When did Alfred Wegener make his theory?
All of these facts supported Wegener's theory of "continental drift." In 1915 the first edition of The Origin of Continents and Oceans, a book outlining Wegener's theory, was published; expanded editions were published in 1920, 1922, and 1929.
What is Harry Hess’s theory?
Hess envisaged that oceans grew from their centres, with molten material (basalt) oozing up from the Earth's mantle along the mid ocean ridges. This created new seafloor which then spread away from the ridge in both directions.
What is James Hutton’s theory of evolution?
Hutton argues that members of species vary, and that when the environment changes over time, those individuals best adapted to the new environment will survive, while those poorly adapted will perish.
How did Alfred Russel Wallace influence Darwin?
Wallace knew Darwin was working on similar research. In 1858, he sent Darwin a letter outlining his ideas about evolution. The two collaborated on a scientific paper, discussing their evidence for natural selection and evolution.
What is William Smith known for?
William Smith, known in his day as “Strata Smith”, was a civil engineer and geologist. The “Father of English Geology”, he was responsible for initiating the production of the first geological map of England and Wales.
What did William Smith invent?
William 'Strata' Smith (23 March 1769 – 28 August 1839) was an English geologist, credited with creating the first detailed, nationwide geological map of any country….William Smith (geologist)
| William Smith | |
|---|---|
| Known for | Geological map of England and Wales |
| Awards | Wollaston Medal (1831) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Geology |
What is William Smith remembered for?
28, 1839, Northampton, Northamptonshire), English engineer and geologist who is best known for his development of the science of stratigraphy. Smith's great geologic map of England and Wales (1815) set the style for modern geologic maps, and many of the colourful names he applied to the strata are still in use today.
What is Lamarck credited with?
Even though this belief eventually gave way to Darwin's theory of natural selection acting on random variation, Lamarck is credited with helping put evolution on the map and with acknowledging that the environment plays a role in shaping the species that live in it.
Who was Jean the Baptiste?
Jean Baptiste is French for John the Baptist, a Jewish preacher who baptized Jesus Christ.
What is Russel Wallace known for?
Alfred Russel Wallace was born in Wales in 1823. He has been described variously as a naturalist, a geographer, and a social critic. He even weighed in on the debate as to whether or not life could exist on Mars. However, what he is best known for is his work on the theory of natural selection.
What did Darwin and Wallace discover?
Abstract. Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace independently discovered the mechanism of natural selection for evolutionary change.
Who is Alfred Wegener known for?
the continental drift hypothesis What is Alfred Wegener best known for? German meteorologist and geophysicist Alfred Wegener was the first person to formulate a complete statement of the continental drift hypothesis.
What is Alfred Wegener famous for?
Alfred Lothar Wegener Wegener was a German meteorologist, geophysicist and polar researcher. In 1915 he published 'The Origin of Continents and Oceans', which outlined his theory of Continental Drift.
What did Dan McKenzie discover?
plate tectonics Dan McKenzie published his first article on plate tectonics, providing a mathematical model for convection in the mantle explaining the movement of the earth's crust, “The viscosity of the lower mantle” (McKenzie, 1966).