Important People in the Study of Human Evolution

Georges Cuvier- French comparative anatomist who is considered the founder of functional anatomy.

Raymond Dart- Credited with classifying the Taung skull.

Charles Darwin- Wrote The Origin of Species. Credited with coming up with the Theory of Natural Selection.

Comte de Buffon- Wrestled with the idea that humans and apes were somehow related.

Hugo DeVries- Dutch botanist who took Mendel's work further.

Eugene Dubois- Dutch physician who discovered what is now known as Homo erectus.

James Hutton- Formulated the theory of uniformitarianism.

Donald Johanson- Discovered the "Lucy" skeleton in 1974.

Jean Baptiste Lamarck- His theories on evolution assisted in Darwin's formulations.

Louis Leakey- Did extensive work at Olduvai Gorge and Laetoli.

Mary Leakey- Did extensive work at Olduvai Gorge and Laetoli.

Charles Lyell- Helped make uniformitarianism widely accepted in the 19th century.

Thomas Malthus- Created theories on populations.

Gregor Mendel- Considered the father of genetics.

James Ussher- Tried to estimate the age of the Earth by using chronological events in the Bible.