Question

1. Describe the contributions to evolutionary theory made by Linnaeus, Cuvier, Lyell, Lamarck, Malthus, and Wallace

2. Describe Lamarck’s theories, and explain why they have been rejected

3. Explain what Darwin meant by “descent with modification”

4. List and explain Darwin’s two observations and two inferences

5. Explain why an individual organism cannot evolve

6. Describe at the four lines of evidence for evolution by natural selection

Answer 1

Linnaeus:

• father of taxonomy
• developed binomial nomenclature
• Believed resemblance

Cuvier:

• developed paleontology
• Hypothesized Catastrophism (each boundary between strata indicates a catastrophe which destroyed many species)

Lyell:

• Discovered that the earth's surface continuously and slowly changes.
• The change is constant.
• influenced Darwin's thinking a lot.

Lamarck:

• Speculated that the species evolve by utilizing or not utilizing traits.

Malthus:

• Stated that population can grow exponentially but food can be produced only arithmatically.

Wallace:

• Developed natural selection theory.