now abundant in the neighbouring sea, but are rare or absent in this particular deposit. It is an excellent lesson to reflect on the ascertained amount of migration of the inhabitants of Europe during the
glacial glacial 1861 1866 1869 1872 | Glacial 1859 1860 |
period; period; 1866 | period, 1859 1860 1861 | epoch, 1869 1872 |
which forms only a part of one whole geological
period; period; 1859 1861 1866 1869 1872 | period: 1860 |
and likewise to reflect on the
great great 1859 1860 1861 1866 | great 1869 1872 |
changes of level, on the
inordinately great inordinately great 1859 1860 1861 1866 | extreme 1869 1872 |
change of climate,
on the prodigious on the prodigious 1859 1860 1861 1866 |
and on the great 1869 1872 |
lapse of time, all included within this same glacial period. Yet it may be doubted
whether, whether, 1866 1869 1872 | whether 1859 1860 1861 |
in any quarter of the world, sedimentary deposits,
including
including
1859 1860 1866 1869 1872 | including 1861 |
fossil
fossil
1859 1860 1866 1869 1872 | fossil 1861 |
remains
,
remains
,
1859 1860 1866 1872 | remains, 1861 |
remains,
1869 |
have gone on accumulating within the same area during the whole of this period. It is not, for instance, probable that sediment was deposited during the whole of the glacial period near the mouth of the Mississippi, within that limit of depth at which marine animals can
flourish; flourish; 1859 1860 1861 1866 | best flourish: 1869 1872 |
for we know
what what 1859 1860 1861 1866 | that 1869 1872 |
vast vast 1859 1860 1861 1866 | great 1869 1872 |
geographical changes occurred in other parts of America during this space of time. When such beds as were deposited in shallow water near the mouth of the Mississippi during some part of the glacial period shall have been upraised, organic remains will probably first appear and disappear at different levels, owing to the
migration migration 1859 1860 1861 1866 | migrations 1869 1872 |
of species and to geographical changes. And in the distant future, a
geologist, geologist, 1866 1869 1872 | geologist 1859 1860 1861 |
examining these beds,
would would 1866 1869 1872 | might 1859 1860 1861 |
be tempted to conclude that the average duration of life of the embedded fossils had been less than that of the glacial period, instead of having been really far greater, that
is, is, 1861 1866 1869 1872 | is 1859 1860 |
extending from before the glacial epoch to the present day. |