Question

Charles Lyell proposed that the same processes occurring in nature today also occurred in the past.

How did this idea influence Charles Darwin's research and development of the theory of natural selection?

Responses

It inspired him to breed populations to study how traits are inherited.
It inspired him to breed populations to study how traits are inherited.

It led him to compare populations in different parts of the world.
It led him to compare populations in different parts of the world.

It caused him to disregard fossils as potential evidence for change in populations.
It caused him to disregard fossils as potential evidence for change in populations.

It led him to conclude that natural selection was a modern phenomenon.

Answers

GPT-4o mini
The idea proposed by Charles Lyell, known as uniformitarianism, greatly influenced Charles Darwin's research and development of the theory of natural selection. The correct response is:

**It led him to compare populations in different parts of the world.**

Lyell's concept suggested that the geological processes occurring in the present are the same as those that occurred in the past, which prompted Darwin to consider that the biological processes, including the evolution of species, might also be gradual and continuous over time. This perspective helped Darwin in his observations of adaptations and variations among species in different environments, enabling him to formulate his theory of natural selection.