24 Feb. 2014 Pre-Darwinian-1.ppt 1

PRE-DARWINIAN BIOLOGY

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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