The seemingly rapid appearance of fossils in the ` primordial strata ' was noted as early as the mid 19th century , and Charles Darwin saw it as one of the main objections that could be made against his theory of evolution by natural selection . The seemingly rapid appearance of fossils in the â Primordial Strataâ was noted as early as the mid 19th century , and Charles Darwin saw it as one of the main objections that could be made against his theory of evolution by natural selection .