Abstract
Spontaneous generation of microbes and insects from dust, mud, or inorganic matter does not exist. This result published by Louis Pasteur around 1860 was one of the most important discoveries in the history of modern science. This chapter mainly deals with the theory of evolution and its development from Anaximander of Miletos (611–545 BC) to the twenty-first century. The influence of genetic research on modern Darwinism and the paradigm change initiated by McClintock are described. Finally, the history of the “Piltdown Man” is reported as an example of (fortunately rare) fakes and forgeries in science. This chapter includes biographies of Pasteur, Buchner, Darwin, Wallace, and McClintock.
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© 2016 Springer International Publishing Switzerland
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Kricheldorf, H.R. (2016). Biology. In: Getting It Right in Science and Medicine. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-30388-8_8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-30388-8_8
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Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
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Online ISBN: 978-3-319-30388-8
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