Introduction to Evolutionary Biology: History of Evolutionary Thought & Mr. Darwin

Flashcards covering key figures, concepts, and historical developments in the theory of evolution, leading up to Darwin's ideas of natural selection, based on BIO 200 Lecture 3.

Anaximander

A 6th Century B.C.E. Greek philosopher who proposed common descent and transmutation of species.

Supernatural Explanation for Creation (Historical View)

The belief that life was created through the will of a supernatural power, organisms look and function according to a divine design, and species are immutable (do not change).

Immutable Species

The historical belief that species do not change over time, attributed to the design of a supreme being.

Carolus Linnaeus (1707-1778)

Introduced binomial nomenclature (e.g., Homo sapiens) and hierarchical classification to understand similarity among organisms.

Binomial Nomenclature

A system of naming organisms using two terms, the first indicating the genus and the second the species (e.g., Homo sapiens), developed by Carolus Linnaeus.

Hierarchical Classification

A system of classifying organisms into a hierarchy of groups (e.g., Kingdom, Order, Family, Genus, Species), developed by Carolus Linnaeus.

James Hutton (1726-1797)

Founder of modern geology, proposed that natural processes shape rock formations, and gradual change leads to massive change through time, suggesting the Earth is very old.

Gradualism (Geology)

The theory, proposed by James Hutton, that profound geological change is the cumulative product of slow but continuous processes.

Great Geological Cycle

Proposed by James Hutton, involves sedimentation (sediments deposited by water forming stone) and erosion (rock breaking down into sediment).

Adam Smith (1723-1790)

The Father of Economics, known for laissez-faire economics, the concept of an 'invisible hand' guiding chaos, and the benefits of competition and self-interest.

Invisible Hand

A natural force in Adam Smith's economic theory that guides chaos and leads to beneficial outcomes through individual self-interest.

Jean-Baptiste Lamarck (1744-1829)

Proposed the first truly complete theory of evolution, suggesting environmental forces shape adaptation, emphasizing 'use and disuse' and the inheritance of acquired traits.

Inheritance of Acquired Traits

Lamarck's theory that traits acquired by an organism during its lifetime through use or disuse can be passed on to its offspring.

Thomas Malthus (1766-1834)

Wrote 'An Essay on the Principle of Population,' arguing that populations grow geometrically while food supplies grow linearly, leading to competition and checks on population size.

Malthusian Principle of Population

The concept that population growth outpaces the growth of food supply, leading to competition, famine, disease, and war as natural rectifying forces.

Georges Cuvier (1769-1832)

Established comparative anatomy and paleontology, verified that extinction occurs, was a proponent of 'catastrophism,' and did not agree with evolutionary thinking.

Catastrophism

Cuvier's theory that geological features and the extinction of species are caused by sudden, short-lived, violent events or catastrophes.

Megatherium

A giant ground sloth, studied by Georges Cuvier, which helped verify the concept of extinction.

Charles Lyell (1797-1875)

A geologist who proposed uniformitarianism, stating that the processes shaping ancient geology are the same as those in modern times ('the present is the key to the past').

Uniformitarianism

The geological principle, proposed by Charles Lyell, that the same natural laws and processes that operate in our present-day scientific observations have always operated in the universe in the past and apply everywhere in the universe.

Charles Darwin (1809-1882)

Proposed that species evolve from common ancestors (common descent), species change through time (transmutation of species), and the mechanism of evolution is natural selection.

Common Descent

The principle, supported by Darwin, that all life on Earth shares a common ancestor.

Transmutation of Species

The concept that new species come from existent species, a belief Darwin began to hold.

Natural Selection

Darwin's proposed mechanism of evolution, where favorable variations are preserved and unfavorable ones destroyed in the struggle for existence, leading to the formation of new species.

HMS Beagle Voyage

A five-year voyage (1831-1836) undertaken by Charles Darwin, during which he made observations of flora, fauna, and geology, particularly in the Galapagos Islands, that influenced his theory of evolution.

Galapagos Islands Discoveries

Darwin's observations of unique species like mockingbirds, tortoises, and finches that differed from island to island, suggesting adaptation and transmutation of species.

Glyptodon

An extinct genus of large, heavily armored mammals, fossils of which were found by Darwin, resembling modern armadillos and influencing his ideas on common ancestry.

Alfred Russel Wallace (1823-1913)

The co-discoverer of natural selection, whose independent work prompted Darwin's publication of 'On the Origin of Species'.

Wallace's Line

A faunal boundary line drawn by Alfred Russel Wallace, separating the ecozones of Asia and Wallacea (a transitional zone), indicating distinct differences in species distribution.

Gregor Mendel (1822-1884)

Known as the 'Father of Genetics,' he discovered that traits are inherited by predictable laws, laying the groundwork for understanding genetic inheritance.

James Watson & Francis Crick

Scientists who, along with Rosalind Franklin's contributions, discovered the double helix structure of DNA, identifying the means for heritable information to be stored and passed on.

Rosalind Franklin (1920-1958)

Chemist and X-ray crystallographer whose work was crucial to the understanding of the molecular structures of DNA and RNA.

DNA (Deoxyribonucleic Acid)

The molecule that carries genetic instructions in all known living organisms, discovered to have a double helix structure by Watson and Crick (with Franklin's data), providing the basis for heritable information.