Final answer:
Most people in the 16th and 17th centuries assumed species and the Earth were unchanging, based on religious views. The Renaissance and exploration led to empirical observations that questioned these assumptions, leading to the Scientific Revolution.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the 16th and 17th centuries, most people took for granted the notion that all species and the Earth were static and unchanging. Religious beliefs dominated their understanding of nature, with many holding the view that all species were created simultaneously and had remained the same since that point. Additionally, it was commonly believed that the Earth was the center of the universe and that its geography and life forms were deliberately designed and unalterable. However, during the Renaissance and Age of Exploration, observations and experiments began to challenge these views. People started to recognize the rationality and knowability of nature, and a gradual shift from scriptural to empirical understanding of the world took root, paving the way for the Scientific Revolution and later, the Enlightenment.