Chapter 10: Early Ideas About Evolution PDF
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This document discusses the theories of biological and geologic change before Darwin. It includes information about important naturalists like Linnaeus, Buffon, and Erasmus Darwin. The text explains the concepts of evolution and the development of evolutionary ideas during the 18th century.
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## Chapter 10: Early Ideas About Evolution ### Section 10.1 Early Ideas About Evolution There were theories of biological and geologic change before Darwin. **Evolution** is the process of biological change by which descendants come to differ from their ancestors. Charles Darwin was not the firs...
## Chapter 10: Early Ideas About Evolution ### Section 10.1 Early Ideas About Evolution There were theories of biological and geologic change before Darwin. **Evolution** is the process of biological change by which descendants come to differ from their ancestors. Charles Darwin was not the first scientist to share his ideas about evolution and how it occurs. There were many important naturalists in the 18th century. * **Carolus Linnaeus** proposed that plant varieties, or **species** - a group of organisms so similar to one another that they can reproduce and have fertile offspring - can be crossed to create new species. * **Georges Buffon** proposed that species shared ancestors instead of arising separately, the common thought of the time. * **Erasmus Darwin** Charles Darwin's grandfather, noted that more-complex forms of life seemed to arise from less-complex forms. * **Jean-Baptiste Lamarck** Recognized that changes in physical characteristics could be passed on to offspring and were driven by environmental changes over time.
