Catastrophism

The Kataklysmentheorie (Latin cataclysmus to Greek Kataklysmos " flood "), even catastrophe theory or catastrophism, refers to a geo-scientific theory of the 18th and 19th century, the observed within the upper crust succession of organisms and communities as a result of repeated global disasters ( cataclysms ) thought with each subsequent re-creation.

Definition

The theory is based on the assumption that the difference between the faunas and floras between the different geological periods only by the occurrence of major disasters ( cataclysms ) is explained, which had destroyed the majority of the organisms of an area suddenly and without any intermediate steps. Subsequently, animals and plants were created either by creation or migrated from other areas.

Representatives and counterparties

The most prominent representative of the Kataklysmentheorie was the French naturalist Georges Cuvier ( 1769-1832 ). Cuvier was long regarded as the most famous proponent of catastrophism, which states that in the earth's repeated major disasters destroyed much of the creatures and from the remaining species in subsequent phases new life originated. The legend, Cuvier did after each disaster postulated a new creation by God, was by his opponent, the British geologist Charles Lyell (1797-1875) spread.

Cuvier joined the Linnaean species concept. The individual species were created independently at him and unchanging. He was an opponent of Lamarckian theory of evolution ( evolutionary theory ) and the theory of the inheritance of acquired characteristics. It represents therefore committed to the principle of Artkonstanz. But he, knowing in his paleontological research shows that the shapes of the individual layers of the Rezentfauna be more dissimilar, the deeper location - ie older - considered one layers. This he interpreted so that the individual groups of organisms are originated from one another in the layers independently. The history of the earth so was divided into completely independent, separated by periods cataclysms. These cataclysms would be led to a local mass extinction, from other regions of strange shapes then immigrated.

Cuvier had great influence in society (see also Paris Academy dispute of 1830 ), and his Kataklysmentheorie took place during the first half of the 19th century, many epigones. So here, for example, Alcide Dessalines d' Orbigny (1802-1857) to call, who returned after a multi-year trip through South America at the Muséum national d' histoire naturelle in Paris and wrote a multi-volume presentation of the fossils of France, including a band across the Jura. This he divided into ten stages, strictly separating it by cataclysms another for the purposes of catastrophism.

Lyell, however, introduced the principle of uniformity in geology, which states that in the Earth's only such forces would have looked at the design of the earth, which can be observed even today. The often abrupt acting transitions between different layer sequences and Mass Extinctions not explain the actualism as a result of sudden and short -lasting weltumwälzender disasters, but as tradition gaps and as a result of the exceptionally long duration of geological processes. The actualism was one of the prerequisites for the development of the theory of evolution by Charles Darwin.

Review from today's perspective

A surprising revival of the ideas of the Kataklysmentheorie and thus a relativization of the principle of uniformity brought in the second half of the 20th century, the discovery that the Earth, like other celestial bodies also exposed in its history many times the impact of large meteorites, asteroids and comets was that actually caused global catastrophes greatest extent.

Such as asteroids and comets hits, radiation outbursts near-Earth supernova events or track changes in the solar system - - also ground-based operations can cause serious short term planet-wide changes in the sense of Kataklysmentheorie For a few years there is increasing evidence that in addition to cosmic disasters are increasing. These include, for example, Calder outbreaks ( Yellowstone Caldera ) with subsequent volcanic winter, the tearing of major ocean currents ( Gulf Stream ) with the following ice age as well as super - earthquakes and associated tsunamis.

As secured today that there were repeated geological disasters and that the mass extinction are in touch with them, and many details are still controversial. As an explanation for the appearance of new species, the theory of evolution has, in contrast, enforced.

From today's perspective, the indoctrinated guided academic dispute has been overcome. The Kataklysemtheorie ( catastrophe theory ) is to be regarded as a useful complement to the theory of evolution and for understanding the evolution of life on Earth indispensable prerequisite.