How did Cuvier's theory of catastrophism conflict with early evolutionary thinking?
A) It held that disasters, like floods or earthquakes, completely wiped out species, and new ones were created to replace them.
B) It maintains that, were species to develop as described in Darwinian evolution, it would be catastrophic for their survival.
C) Catastrophism argues that all species are doomed to extinction, regardless of their relative fitness to their environment.
D) Catastrophism recognizes no impact of the environment on a species' chance for survival.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Cuvier's theory of catastrophism held that disasters, such as floods or earthquakes, completely wiped out species, and new ones were created to replace them. This conflicts with early evolutionary thinking, which argued that species change gradually over time rather than being completely wiped out and replaced by new ones.

How Did Cuvier's Theory of Catastrophism Conflict with Early Evolutionary