What was the prevailing belief prior to the time of Lyell and Darwin?
A)Earth is a few thousand years old,and populations are unchanging.
B)Earth is a few thousand years old,and populations gradually change.
C)Earth is millions of years old,and populations rapidly change.
D)Earth is millions of years old,and populations are unchanging.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The prevailing belief prior to the time of Lyell and Darwin was that the Earth is a few thousand years old and populations are unchanging, as described by the biblical theory of creation. This belief was widely held among scientists and theologians during the 18th and early 19th centuries. It wasn't until the publication of Darwin's "On the Origin of Species" in 1859 and the acceptance of Lyell's theory of uniformitarianism that the prevailing belief began to shift toward an understanding of a much older Earth and the concept of evolution.

What Was the Prevailing Belief Prior to the Time of Lyell