Influential
group of mid-nineteenth century orthodox physicians and biblical scholars whose
research led them to believe that
evolution could not have occurred within the time frame allowed since the biblical
Special Creation; that
variation among
human types was too great to be explained by historical or
climatic influences, and therefore the
races (even species) of
humans must have been created separately; hence these scholars were also known as polygenists. Among the more prominent were Samuel Morton, Josiah Nott, and George Gliddon.