Final answer:
Nicolaus Steno was the first to point out that fossil species succeed one another in a predictable order through sediment layers, introducing the law of superposition in 1669.
Step-by-step explanation:
The person who first pointed out that fossil species succeed one another through successive layers of sediment in a predictable order was Nicolaus Steno. Steno proposed the law of superposition in 1669, which helps to determine the relative ages of sedimentary rock layers based on their position in a sequence. This concept is fundamental to our understanding of the geological history of Earth and the progression of life on Earth.
Nicolaus Steno first pointed out that fossil species succeed one another through successive layers of sediment in a predictable order. Steno, a scientist, proposed the law of superposition in 1669, which states that the oldest layers are found at the bottom and the youngest layers are found at the top. This concept was revolutionary at the time and provided evidence for the idea of the Earth's long geological history. Steno's work laid the foundation for the field of stratigraphy, which studies the layers of rock and their fossils to understand the Earth's past.