What is natural history?
Q: What is natural history?
A: Natural history is the study of plants and animals in the wild, as well as their environments. It involves observation, interpretation, collecting and classification rather than experiments.
Q: Who are naturalists?
A: Naturalists are people who study natural history. They were among the first to explore the world and discover new species.
Q: What did naturalists notice about living things?
A: Naturalists noticed that living things fit into the lives they led - this was known as adaptation. They also noticed a struggle for existence between animals and believed there was a chain of being from lower animals to higher, which they thought was created by God.
Q: When did the idea that such things could happen naturally begin to surface?
A: The idea that such things could happen by natural means began to surface in the 18th century, becoming more popular during Charles Darwin's time.
Q: How were naturalists educated before Darwin?
A: Before Darwin, most naturalists were educated amateurs rather than trained professionals; they often took degrees in science which wasn't common at the time.
Q: When was the term "scientist" invented?
A: The term scientist was invented in 1837 by William Whewell; before then it had been referred to as either a "natural philosopher" (for physical sciences) or a "natural historian" (for biological sciences and geology).
