The main side of the W. Smith’s work — geological mapping — has been shown to be expressed in the series of maps, created by him, and first of all in the «Map of layers of England and Wales». The layers represented for Smith an object for mapping. His stratigraphic tables constitute the lists of stratons, systemized in the order of their bedding and origin. W. Smith discovered a general sequence of 34 layers ofEnglandandWales, in more detailes separated the deposits, substracted later in the Jurassic system. Fossils were considered by W. Smith as specific features of layers, being mapped. The very combination of the characteristics of talented geologist — map-maker und collector of fossils — allowed making the famous conclusion that every layer contained the fossils, typical exactly for it. W. Smith showed the specifics and continuity of paleontological characteristics of different layers, predefined the oportunity of their recognition and identification and designed the base for the development of biostratigraphic method and historical geology in a whole. The short biographic data for Smith has been given.

Georges Cuvier belongs to the most largest naturalists of the end of 18th – the first half of 19th century. He published more than 300   scientific works, which considered different problems — from the  design of comparative-anatomical fundament for the development of  the creatures system, to the questions of natural science. Cuvier  suggested his own sight of the progress in organic world, which gave to the geologists the scientific method on geochronology. His theory  of catastrophes, which provided the change of the subsequent  systems of flora and fauna on the Earth, had a huge influence on the further development of science. The result of its use was the  appearance of the stratigraphic scale in the first half of 19th century. The most important reform of the zoological systematics is  connected with the Kuvier’s works. On the base of comparative- anatomical method, he justified for the first time the study ot the  four main forms of the organization of the creatures, or the plans of  the animal kingdom’s structure. The stratigraphic scheme of Paris basin, suggested by Kuvier, became the example pattern for  the differentiation of the similar deposits in other regions of Western Europe. A brief biographic data has been provided.