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[[File:darwinfinches.jpg|400px|left|Darwin's explanation of finch evolution]]

Geology was another popular topic of study among gentlemen naturalists of the Victorian era. While studying the geological formations of the earth, most learned men of science felt compelled to reconcile their findings with biblical teachings, as was standard during this time. The Bible held that the earth was 6000 years old, so any and all discoveries made by geologists must somehow fit into this timeframe. “Catastrophism” – the theory that changes in the Earth’s crust resulted from sudden violent and unusual events – was the name of the game during this time as this theory was easily reconcilable with the biblical account of Earth’s creation. This theory held that mountains and valleys were formed during catastrophic events, over a short period of time; these catastrophic events were responsible for the various layers of sediment and fossils. The so-called “gentlemen scientists” of the Victorian era had no problem reconciling their findings with their Christian beliefs, as biblical accounts like Noah’s flood were seen as perfect examples of catastrophic events that had shaped the earth’s crust.

Catastrophism enjoyed widespread popularity among the men of science during the Victorian era until a Scottish lawyer and amateur geologist named Charles Lyell came along. Lyell’s ''Principles of Geology'' (1830-33) was perhaps the most important work on geological science ever published. In this three-volume book, Lyell used a slew of geological findings to strengthen his argument for his new theory: Uniformitarianism. This theory changed the very foundation of geological science – Lyell provided almost irrefutable proof that the Earth was older than 6000 years. With Lyell’s theory, the Earth went from being a young planet whose crust was shaped by catastrophic events, to an ancient planet whose layers had developed over vast periods of time. But this didn’t happen overnight. As we shall soon see, the idea of an Earth that was millions, or even billions, of years old was a crucial element in Darwin’s development of the theory of natural selection.