historical geology

American  

noun

1. the branch of geology dealing with the history of the earth.

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historical geology British  

noun

1. the branch of geology concerned with the evolution of the earth and its life forms from its origins to the present

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Etymology

Origin of historical geology

First recorded in 1920–25

Example Sentences

But until historical geology had been formulated, and until the idea of the unity of nature had dawned upon the minds of scientists, the doctrine of evolution had little significance.

From The Story of the Living Machine A Review of the Conclusions of Modern Biology in Regard to the Mechanism Which Controls the Phenomena of Living Activity by Conn, H. W. (Herbert William)

The geological or stratigraphical direction of the science was given by the work of William Smith, "the father of historical geology," in the closing decade of the eighteenth century.

From Darwin and Modern Science by Seward, A. C. (Albert Charles)

The volume is divided into two parts, physical geology and historical geology.

From General Science by Clark, Bertha M.

But historical geology alone could never have led to the dynamical phase of modern biology.

From The Story of the Living Machine A Review of the Conclusions of Modern Biology in Regard to the Mechanism Which Controls the Phenomena of Living Activity by Conn, H. W. (Herbert William)

All these puzzling features unite to render the subject of historical geology anything but the simple matter the fathers of the science esteemed it.

From A History of Science — Volume 3 by Williams, Henry Smith