On
On
1866 1869 1872 |
On
1859 1860 1861 |
the
the
1866 1869 1872 |
the
1859 1860 1861 |
sudden
sudden
1866 1869 1872 |
sudden
1859 1860 1861 |
Appearance
Appearance
1866 1869 1872 |
appearance
1859 1860 1861 |
of
of
1866 1869 1872 |
of
1859 1860 1861 |
Groups
Groups
1866 1869 1872 |
groups
1859 1860 1861 |
of
of
1866 1869 1872 |
of
1859 1860 1861 |
allied
allied
1866 1869 1872 |
Allied
1859 1860 |
allied
1861 |
Species
Species
1866 1869 1872 |
Species
1859 1860 1861 |
in
in
1866 1869 1872 |
in
1859 1860 1861 |
the
the
1866 1869 1872 |
the
1859 1860 1861 |
lowest
lowest
1866 1869 1872 |
lowest
1859 1860 1861 |
known
known
1866 1869 1872 |
known
1859 1860 1861 |
Fossiliferous
Fossiliferous
1866 1869 1872 |
fossiliferous
1859 1860 1861 |
Strata
.
Strata
. 1866 1869 1872 |
strata
.—
1859 1860 1861 |
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There is another and allied difficulty, which is much
more serious. more serious. 1866 1869 1872 | graver. 1859 1860 1861 |
I allude to the manner in which
numbers of species numbers of species 1859 1860 1861 1866 |
many species in several 1869 |
species belonging to several 1872 |
of the
same group same group 1866 |
same group, 1859 1860 1861 |
main divisions of the animal kingdom 1869 1872 |
suddenly appear in the lowest known fossiliferous rocks. Most of the arguments which have convinced me that all the existing species of the same group
have have 1859 1860 1861 1866 | are 1869 1872 |
descended from
one one 1859 1860 1861 1866 | a single 1869 1872 |
progenitor, apply with
nearly nearly 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869 | nearly 1872 |
equal force to the earliest known species. For instance,
I I 1859 1860 1861 1866 | it 1869 1872 |
cannot
doubt doubt 1859 1860 1861 1866 | be doubted 1869 1872 |
that all the
Silurian trilobites have Silurian trilobites have 1859 1860 1861 1866 |
Silurian trilobites are 1869 |
Cambrian and Silurian trilobites are 1872 |
descended from some one crustacean, which must have lived long before the
Silurian Silurian 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869 | Cambrian 1872 |
age, and which probably differed greatly from any known animal. Some of the most ancient
Silurian Silurian 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869 | Silurian 1872 |
animals, as the Nautilus, Lingula,
&c., &c., 1859 1860 1866 1869 1872 | &c, 1861 |
do not differ much from living species; and it cannot on
my my 1859 1860 1861 1866 | our 1869 1872 |
theory be supposed, that these old species were the progenitors of all the species
belonging to the same group which have subsequently appeared, belonging to the same group which have subsequently appeared, 1866 |
of the orders to which they belong, 1859 1860 1861 |
belonging to the same groups which have subsequently appeared, 1869 1872 |
for they
do do 1859 1860 1861 1866 | are 1869 1872 |
not
present characters present characters 1859 1860 1861 1866 | present characters 1869 1872 |
in any degree intermediate
between them. between them. 1859 1860 1861 1866 | in character. 1869 1872 |
↑1 blocks not present in 1866 1869 1872; present in 1859 1860 1861 | If, moreover, they had been the progenitors of these orders, they would almost certainly have been long ago supplanted and exterminated by their numerous and improved descendants.
|
|
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Consequently, if
my my 1859 1860 1861 1866 | the 1869 1872 |
theory be true, it is indisputable
that, that, 1866 1869 | that 1859 1860 1861 1872 |
before the lowest
Silurian Silurian 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869 | Cambrian 1872 |
stratum stratum 1859 1860 1861 1866 1872 |
or Cambrian stratum 1869 |
was
deposited, deposited, 1859 1860 1861 1866 1872 | deposited 1869 |
long periods elapsed, as long as, or probably far longer than, the whole interval from the
Silurian Silurian 1859 1860 1861 1866 | Cambrian 1869 1872 |
age to the present day; and that during these
vast, vast, 1859 1860 1861 1866 | vast 1869 1872 |
yet quite unknown, periods of time, yet quite unknown, periods of time, 1859 1860 1861 1866 |
periods 1869 1872 |
the world swarmed with living creatures. |
|
To the question why we do not find
richly fossiliferous records of these vast primordial periods, richly fossiliferous records of these vast primordial periods, 1866 |
records of these vast primordial periods, 1859 1860 1861 |
rich fossiliferous deposits belonging to these assumed earliest periods, 1869 |
rich fossiliferous deposits belonging to these assumed earliest periods prior to the Cambrian system, 1872 |
I can give no satisfactory answer. Several
...OMIT 1866 1869 1872 |
of the most 1859 1860 1861 |
eminent geologists, with Sir R. Murchison at their head,
were until recently were until recently 1866 1869 1872 |
are 1859 1860 1861 |
convinced that we
beheld beheld 1866 1869 1872 | see 1859 1860 1861 |
in the organic remains of the lowest Silurian stratum the
first dawn first dawn 1866 1869 1872 | dawn 1859 1860 1861 |
of
life life 1859 1860 1861 1866 | life. 1869 1872 |
on on 1859 1860 1861 1866 | on 1869 1872 |
this this 1859 1860 1861 1866 | this 1869 1872 |
planet. planet. 1859 1860 1861 1866 | planet. 1869 1872 |
Other highly competent judges, as Lyell and
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