Darwin's Exposure to Lyell Gave Him Insight on the ____

Question

Darwin's exposure to Lyell gave him insight on the ____.  
A) existing evidence from fossils
B) record of catastrophic changes that encouraged evolution
C) soundness of Lamarck's theories
D) enormous lengths of time required for geologic events
E) arguments for creationism

Accepted Answer

Lyell's principle of uniformitarianism, which Darwin was exposed to, suggested that the geologic events that shape the earth's surface occur slowly over long periods of time. This understanding of the enormous lengths of time required for geologic events provided a framework for Darwin's theories of evolution.