Cuvier was a prominent figure in the early 19th century and argued that Earth's geological features and the history of life were shaped by a series of catastrophic events, such as floods, volcanic eruptions, and meteor impacts. He believed that these catastrophes wiped out entire species, leading to the extinction of large groups of organisms and leaving behind fossilized remains.
While catastrophism eventually gave way to uniformitarianism, Cuvier's work was significant in contributing to the development of paleontology and understanding the history of life on Earth.
