Final answer:
The idea that uniformitarian principles are not taken seriously is false. These principles are fundamental to geology, positing that geological processes have been consistent over time and suggesting an ancient Earth. Charles Lyell's work was pivotal to this understanding and continues to be influential.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that uniformitarian principles are no longer taken seriously by most geologists is false. The concept of uniformitarianism, which was a major breakthrough in evolutionary thinking, is still a fundamental principle in geology today. The principle, often summarized as "The present is the key to the past," posits that the same natural laws and processes that operate in our present-day scientific observations have always operated in the universe in the past and apply everywhere in the universe.
Scottish geologist Charles Lyell, in his treatise Principles of Geology, argued that geological processes such as erosion and sedimentation have occurred at the same rate over time, an idea that implies the Earth is much older than the few thousand years suggested by a literal interpretation of the Bible. This principle directly impacted the development of other scientific fields, including natural history and biology. It allowed scientists to reconcile the presence of marine fossils on mountaintops and stratified rock layers with a much older Earth. In the wake of these discoveries, geology, oceanography, and plate tectonics have made considerable advances.