The Complete Work of Charles Darwin Online

RECORD: Darwin, C. R. 1857.02. Letter from Lyell to Horner shows Barrandes Colony is true - account. CUL-DAR205.9.326. Edited by John van Wyhe (Darwin Online, http://darwin-online.org.uk/)

REVISION HISTORY: Transcribed by Christine Chua and edited by John van Wyhe 10.2021. RN1

NOTE: The brown crayon number '22' indicates that this document was filed by Darwin in his portfolio for the subject of Palaeontology: extinction.

Reproduced with permission of the Syndics of Cambridge University Library and William Huxley Darwin. The volume CUL-DAR205.9 contains notes on palaeontology and geology [regarding theory of evolution].

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[in margin:] Feb. 1857

Letter from Lyell to Horner shows Barrandes Colony is true - account for it by breakings of an Isthmus & warmer waters & new Fauna temporarily coming in - For Colony has 7 or 8 percent distinct forms to upper beds of which the colony is prophetic. The Colony Beds thin out do other beds thin out? - Richness of Barrandes Fauna wonderful - Also very strong on richness of the Beds of Keuper

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period - actually 8000 Mollusca.

Barrandes has 1500 species! of Silurian & Cambrian fossils - Fossils of Keuper or Caspian intermediate between Palæozoic & Mesozoic.

Barrandes admits that in all his many stages, there is steady slight change in species coming in & going out. It requires perfect knowledge to make out this; how much more perfect to make out change in each species.

Citation: John van Wyhe, ed. 2002-. The Complete Work of Charles Darwin Online. (http://darwin-online.org.uk/)