There were two viable theories of generation, preformation
and epigenesis, existing in the Seventeenth and
Eighteenth Centuries. Due to their irreconcilable nature,
they were often at loggerheads during this time interval.
The status of these generation theories can be effectively
understood in terms of Thomas Kuhn's conception of preparadigm
science....
The major historical studies that have examined American
biology have emphasized the development of experimental biology at
the end of the nineteenth century. In this characterization, the
descriptive branch of biology has often been treated as less than
important and, in several cases, as a hindrance in the application
of...