E ARTH ’ S S TORY AND T HOSE W HO F IRST L ISTENED Chapter 6 Section 1
P ALEONTOLOGY - THE STUDY OF PAST LIFE USING FOSSILS A paleontologist studies the history of plants and animals A paleobotanist studies fossil plants
U NIFORMITARIANISM The idea that geologic processes occurring now are the same as those in the past According to uniformitarianism, a geologic change happens gradually A scientist who outlined uniformitarianism in 1788 was James Huton
C ATASTROPHISM Is the principle that states that all geologic change occurs suddenly A catastrophe would happen Charles Lyell published Principles of Geology from The science that combines uniformitarianism plus catastrophism is called modern geology.