Nicholas Steno

Nicholas Steno was a pioneering scientist and thinker from the 17th century who helped develop the principles of geology and fossils. He observed that some rocks and fossils formed through natural processes over time, leading him to realize that layers of sedimentary rock represent ancient Earth history. Steno established key ideas like the law of superposition, which states that in undisturbed layers of rock, older layers are beneath younger ones. His work laid the foundation for understanding how Earth's history is recorded in rocks, contributing significantly to the fields of geology and paleontology.