Ray first suggested the concept of species in classification
of animals and plants. He opined that the goodness and wisdom of
God was shown not only by the usefulness of animals to man's uses
as taught by the church, but also by the adaption of animals to
their own lives and surroundings. The vast array and dispersal of
animals found by world explorers all over the world cast doubt on
the biblical story of Noah putting two of every kind of animal on
an ark. The science of botany began with Ray's "History of
Plants", and the researches of Robert Morrison, who was Charles'
physician and keeper of his gardens. The idea from fossils that
existing species of animals were modifications of predecessor
animals conflicted with the religious belief that Noah's ark had
preserved all the varieties of animals. The idea that fossils were
remnants of dead animals existing before man conflicted with the
religious idea that Adam's fall began sin and caused death.
Nicholaus Steno, a Danish physician, demonstrated in 1669 that
layers of strata of rock are always deposited with the oldest
layers on the bottom and the youngest layers on the top, which
began the science of geology. John Aubrey described Stonehenge,
thus founding prehistoric archaeology. He thought it to be a Druid
temple.
The telescope and compound microscope, which has an objective lens
and an eyepiece lens for producing a wide range of magnifications,
were further developed.
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