550s BC

Biology

Anaximander of Miletus [b. Miletus (Turkey), 610 bce, d. Miletus c. 546 bce], in On Nature, introduces the concept of evolution and speculates that animal life began in the oceans -- ideas forgotten for centuries. See also 530 bce Earth science.

Anaximander draws up the first known map of the entire inhabited Earth -- actually only the part known to the Ionians around this time. He puts the map on a cylinder to reflect the curvature of Earth. See also 500 bce Communication.

According to tradition, Anaximander invents the first sundial. In fact, simple sundials existed earlier in Mesopotamia and Egypt, but probably Anaximander invented a form of astrolabe or sundial that could be corrected for changes in the season. See also 1500 bce Tools.

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