24 Feb. 2014 Pre-Darwinian-1.ppt 1 PRE-DARWINIAN BIOLOGY
Dec 17, 2015
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PRE-DARWINIAN BIOLOGY
• History: – Historians classify past in convenient
segments• Egyptian empire,
• Greek period,
• Roman empire,
• DARK AGES
• Renaissance,
• Industrial Revolution, etc.
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PRE-DARWINIAN BIOLOGY
• History: – Today's lecture contrasts 2 historical periods
in Science– Pre-Darwinian period to Darwinian period
• Period of Evolutionary Biology
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Pre-Darwinian Period
• RENAISSANCE Philosophy– before 1454 (invention of printing press)– books HAND COPIED, rare– education limited
• clergy, Royalty, nobility
– Authority• Bible
• Greek philosophers, esp. Aristotle – original scrolls lost, work survived in Arabic
translation 300 B.C.--A.D. 1000
Pre-Darwinian Period
• Age of Belief– dissent discouraged
– Noah's Ark (Genesis 6-8)
• length 300 cubits, beam 50 cubits, height 30 cubits
• 7 of each clean beast, 2 of each unclean
• 7 of each fowl
– Biological inference• Few animal species exist.
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Pre-Darwinian Period• RENAISSANCE
– Exploration, discovery, TRADE ($$)
– Discovery of new different Plants, Animals
– West & Southern Africa, India, E. Indies• antelopes, • rhinoceros, • orangutan
– North & Central America• opossum, • armadillos, • rattlesnakes, etc.
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Pre-Darwinian Period
• BIOLOGY: 16th - 18th Centuries (1500 - 1800)Dominated by Christian Doctrine
(Catholic Church)Human as highest CREATED life form
• CREATION RECENT, c. 4000 B.C.
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BIOLOGY: 16th - 18th Centuries
• FIXITY OF SPECIES: species are static, unchanging, permanent
• implications NO evolutionary transformation NO hereditary relationship NO possibility of extinction
• Scala Naturae = Great Chain of Being• linear model of complexity,
organization of life
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BIOLOGY: 16th - 18th Centuries
• Scala Naturae = Great Chain of Being Organization of Knowledge Stimulus to study of Natural
History (amateurs)• to Discover
• to Name
• to Place on Scala Naturae (Classify !!)
BIOLOGY: 16th - 18th Centuries
• Publications in Natural History• lavishly illustrated:
• Mammals,
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Canis familiaris dingo
“Port Jackson Painter,”
(The Natural History Museum, London)
BIOLOGY: 16th - 18th Centuries
• Publications in Natural History
• Fishes,
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Calotomus carolinus,
The Natural History Drawings of the Endeavour Voyage, 1768-1771.
(The Natural History Museum, London)
BIOLOGY: 16th - 18th Centuries
• Publications in Natural History• Insects and other
invertebrates,
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Watling, Thomas, 1762-1814?,
A crab, a spider, a snail, two butterflies and a caterpillar
(The Natural History Museum, London)
BIOLOGY: 16th - 18th Centuries
• Publications in Natural History• and especially, Birds,
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Cyanoramphus zealandicus
The Natural History Drawings of the Endeavour Voyage, 1768-1771
(The Natural History Museum, London)
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Publications in Natural History• Audubon, Birds of America (1836)
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Publications in Natural History• Audubon, Quadrupeds of America (1850-51)
Publications in Natural History
HerbalsBooks on medicinal
plants.
Infancy of medical science“Medicines” derived from
plantsSome actually work!
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Natural Theology:
• Mind of God could be understood from understanding of Nature.
• John Ray (1691), The Wisdom of God Manifested in the Works of Creation.
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Carolus Linnaeus (Karl von Linne) (1707-1778)
Son of Lutheran parson
Well-educated, interest in botany
Healthy, robust as young manExpedition to Lappland (1732)
collect & preserve plants, notes on native people
Doctor of Medicine, Univ. of Leiden (1735)
Professor, University of Uppsala (1741 on)
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Linnaeus
• Systema Naturae List and classification of ALL known
plants and animals• 1st ed. 1735 (age 28)
• 10th ed. 1758 (age 51)
• 12th ed. 1766-68 (3 vols.)
• Binomial names
• New classification system
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Linnaeus
• Binomial names Replaced long Latin descriptive names Simple 2-part names
• Genus, species
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Linnaeus
• New classification system Kingdom, Phylum, Class,
Order, Family, Genus, species
Allows for branching Classification of plants was
based on sexual parts;
• Scandal !!
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Linnaeus
• GREAT NAMER of Western science • Superior naming and classification
systems,• Personal charm, • Political position
• Physician to King of Sweden,
• Personal arrogance• “God creates, Linnaeus arranges.”
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Linnaeus, the “Great Namer”Extensive correspondence with scientists,
collectors:P. Collinson, London merchant Collinsonia sp.
(horse balm)John Bartram, farmer/naturalist Bartramia longicauda
(upland sandpiper)Mark Catesby, Charleston naturalist Rana catesbiana
(bullfrog)Peter Kalm, Linnaeus' student Kalmia latifolia
(mountain laurel)Alexander Garden, physician Gardenia sp.
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EGO boost!!
Send Linnaeus an unknown plant or animal & he names it for you!!
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Linnaeus died 1778.
Exploration, naming & classifying of living world continues.
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After Linnaeus
• 1788, Linnaean Society of London founded• 1832-38, voyage of H.M.S. Beagle included
"naturalist" in crew, Charles Darwin,• June 1858, Wallace's manuscript to Darwin
– (100 years after 10th ed. of Systema Naturae.)
• July 1858, Presentation of Darwin and Wallace manuscripts to Linnaean Society of London