As mentioned in some articles, the age of the Earth is thought to be between 4.400 and 5.100 billion years. This theory is determined through the use of radiometric dating techniques thanks to the information and material that can be extracted from meteorites. The evidence for this is consistent, so it can be said that this is the origin of the Earth. In order to explain all the events that have occurred on our planet, the actualism. It is the law that is based on the conviction that the events that have occurred throughout history are the same as those that occur in the present.
In this article we are going to point out what actualism is, what its characteristics are and how important it is.
What is actualism
It is a principle issued by James Hutton and further developed by Charles lyell in which it is established that the processes that have occurred throughout the history of the Earth are similar to those that take place today. Hence this theory is called actualism.
This actualism is also considered catastrophizing. It is that the geological features of today are formed suddenly in the past thanks to transformations and evolutions. Some of the most important tools by which actualism and uniformism serve to extract information from our past is the superposition of strata, the faunal succession and the succession of events both in the past and in the evolution of the present.
This law was confirmed in the XNUMXth century and at the beginning of the XNUMXth century. It was naturalists who were able to verify the facts by examining the surface of the Earth. These naturalists affirmed and supported themselves on these facts in order to understand the genesis of the planet and all its evolution. Logically it makes sense. Why are the processes going to change over time? The patterns of atmospheric changes, soil, geological agents, etc. They are the same ones who acted at the beginning of everything.
You have to note that before the atmosphere did not have the same composition. But it is that, to this day, its composition is also being altered. Maybe it's the scale of geological time which makes us think that before there were other geological events than there are now. Wind, sea currents, rainfall, storms, etc. They also occurred when the Earth originated.
Therefore, what currentism defends is that it is these same events that have been transforming the planet and causing it to evolve, but to this day, they are still having an effect and acting.
Genesis
The genesis of the landforms and sediments were explained in this way by the actions of the water, the wind and the waves that they checked and of which they could measure the effects every day. Those who supported catastrophism, opposed the ideas of actualism, since they defend that the great valleys, geological formations and marine basins they have taken place through the awesome cataclysms of the past.
They can be found in religious texts such as the Bible and its Deluge that can be explained as responsible for large alluvial layers that flooded the valley floor. Uniformity also has a place in all this. It is a geological science whose theories say that the processes that currently exist have occurred gradually. In addition, they are the cause of the geological characteristics that our planet has. What uniformism defends is that these processes have been maintained until today without alterations.
Biological actualism
It is a principle that supports the relationship between the living creatures of today and those of the past. Basically, what biological actualism does is affirm that the processes that living beings carry out today were also carried out in the past. That none of that has changed so far.
To make it clearer and easier to understand. If a species breathes and reproduces, it is very likely that these processes also did millions of years ago. So, if we combine this with geological processes, we will be affirming that the same processes have always been happening and that none of that has changed today. It is true that these processes have had their nuances, given that living beings have had to adapt to new environments and conditions that geological agents themselves have transformed over the years.
However, although the nuances are changing, the base of the process is respected, that is, it is breathed and they reproduce. Biological actualism applies to processes such as reproduction and metabolism. Things are already beginning to change when we talk about the behavior of living beings. In this case, the processes are more complicated to apply biological actualism. As individuals adapt to new conditions, we cannot guarantee that it is the same behavior that they have at all times. Furthermore, it is impossible to deduce the behavior of extinct species and to know if it was similar to those of now, millions and millions of years ago. For example, before a ice Age, living beings must modify their behavior in order to adapt to the conditions and survive. Migration is one of the behaviors that has been maintained throughout the evolution of living beings, since it is a survival instinct to want to find a habitat where they can reproduce and have good living conditions.
Geological history of actualism
In order to acquire all the information about what happened throughout history, actualism and uniformity are used, which are defended in the faunal succession, the succession of events and the superposition of strata.
According to the information that can be obtained from the different fossil strata, we have the following:
- The position they had with respect to sea level
- The temperature at which they lived
- The flora and fauna present at that time
- The moment where there were great tectonic movements
As you can see, science tries to explain how the Earth evolved today. Actualism is a fairly accepted branch.