Evolution of the Earth Through the Ages

Abstract

Until the late eighteenth century, it was commonly believed that our world has been the same since the time of biblical Creation. By the nineteenth century, the view of a constant and everlasting Universe has become untenable and scientific opinion has shifted to a paradigm of change and evolution. The geological structure of the Earth is no longer viewed as static, but has undergone erosion, formation, and transformation. After Darwin, life is recognized as a process of nonstop evolution, with old species dying off and new species being created over the history of the Earth. This new perspective was driven by the study of biological fossils and layers of rock formation that gave scientists a record of how the Earth was at different times in the past.