How did Lyell's "Principles of Geology" influence Darwin?
1 Answer
Greatly, the assumption of universal uniform process was foundational to Darwin's theory of biological uniform process.
Explanation:
Charles Lyell stated that the present is the key to the pass. He assumed that the exact same processes that can be observed operating today are the only processes that have operated in the past. His theory is of uniform process predicted vast periods of time to carve out geological structures like the Grand Canyons of Argentina and Arizona
Charles Darwin was greatly influenced by the ideas of Charles Lyell.
Charles Darwin observed small changes as organisms adapted to new environmental. Believing that the present is the key to the past Darwin extrapolated these observable small changes to the possibility of large changes over vast periods of time.
Charles Lyell postulated slow uniform processes explained geological structure observed today. In the same way Charles Darwin postulated that slow uniform process explained the biological structures observed today.
