The Ancient Life History of the Earth A Comprehensive Outline of the Principles and Leading Facts of Palæontological Science

In conclusion, it may not be out of place if we attempt to summarise, in the briefest possible manner, some of the principal results which may be deduced as to the succession of...

Resting upon the Trias, with perfect conformity, and with an almost undeterminable junction, we have the great series of deposits which are known as the _Oolitic Rocks_, from th...

Fossils are found in rocks, though not universally or promiscuously; and it is therefore necessary that the palæontologist should possess some acquaintance with, at any rate, th...

The next series of rocks in ascending order is the great and important series of the Cretaceous Rocks, so called from the general occurrence in the system of chalk (Lat. _creta_...

As regards the _life_ of the Post-Pliocene period, we have, in the first place, to notice the effect produced throughout the northern hemisphere by the gradual supervention of t...

We come now to the consideration of the great _Mesozoic_, or Secondary series of formations, consisting, in ascending order, of the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous systems. T...

The great system of deposits to which Sir Roderick Murchison applied the name of "Silurian Rocks" reposes directly upon the highest Cambrian beds, apparently without any marked...

Before commencing the study of the subdivisions of the Kainozoic series, there are some general considerations to be noted. In the first place, there is in the Old World a compl...

Between the summit of the Ludlow formation and the strata which are universally admitted to belong to the Carboniferous series is a great system of deposits, to which the name o...

We have seen that there exists a great difference as to the mode of origin of the Carboniferous sediments, some being purely marine, whilst others are terrestrial; and others, a...

The Miocene rocks comprise those Tertiary deposits which contain less than about 35 per cent of existing species of shells (_Mollusca_), and more than 5 per cent--or those depos...

Having now treated of the Lower Silurian period at considerable length, it will not be necessary to discuss the succeeding group of the _Upper Silurian_ in the same detail--the...

The traces of life in the Laurentian period, as we have seen, are but scanty; but the _Cambrian Rocks_--so called from their occurrence in North Wales and its borders ("Cambria...

Later than any of the Tertiary formations are various detached and more or less superficial accumulations, which are generally spoken of as the _Post-Tertiary formations_, in ac...

Under the general title of "Geology" are usually included at least two distinct branches of inquiry, allied to one another in the closest manner, and yet so distinct as to be la...

The _Laurentian Rocks_ constitute the base of the entire stratified series, and are, therefore, the oldest sediments of which we have as yet any knowledge. They are more largely...

Overlying the Devonian formation is the great and important series of the _Carboniferous Rocks_, so called because workable beds of coal are more commonly and more largely devel...

The term "contemporaneous" is usually applied by geologists to groups of strata in different regions which contain the same fossils, or an assemblage of fossils in which many id...

The highest division of the Tertiary deposits is termed the _Pliocene_ formation, in accordance with the classification proposed by Sir Charles Lyell. The Pliocene formations co...

The Permian formation closes the long series of the Palæozoic deposits, and may in some respects be considered as a kind of appendix to the Carboniferous system, to which it can...

The physical geologist, who deals with rocks simply as rocks, and who does not necessarily trouble himself about what fossils they may contain, finds that the stratified deposit...

Not only have fossils, as we have seen, a most important bearing upon the sciences of Geology and Physical Geography, but they have relations of the most complicated and weighty...

The study of the rock-masses which constitute the crust of the earth, if carried out in the methodical and scientific manner of the geologist, at once brings us, as has been bef...

We have already seen that geologists have been led by the study of fossils to the all-important generalisation that the vast series of the Fossiliferous or Sedimentary Rocks may...

The succession of life upon the globe--Gradual and successive introduction of life-forms--What is meant by "lower" and "higher" groups of animals and plants--Succession in time...

dependent upon other conditions beside climate alone; and the causes which now limit the range of given animals are certainly such as belong to the existing order of things. But...

(11) 'The Old Red Sandstone,' 'The Testimony of the Rocks,' and 'Footprints of the Creator.' Hugh Miller. (12) "Report on the 4th Geological District"--'Geology of New York,' vo...

knowing the exact limits of distribution of many species within our present seas; so that conclusions drawn from living forms as to extinct species are apt to prove incorrect. F...

The biological relations of fossils--Extinction of life-forms--Geological range of different species--Persistent types of life--Modern origin of existing animals and plants--Ref...

The Laurentian and Huronian periods--General nature, divisions, and geographical distribution of the Laurentian deposits--Lower and Upper Laurentian--Reasons for believing that...

Aqueous and igneous rocks--General characters of the sedimentary rocks--Mode or formation of the sedimentary rocks--Definition of the term "formation"--Chief divisions of the aq...

Life of the Post-Pliocene period--Effect of the coming on and departure of the Glacial period upon the animals inhabiting the northern hemisphere--Birds of the Post-Pliocene--Ma...

The Lower Silurian period--The Silurian rocks generally--Limits of Lower and Upper Silurian--General succession, subdivisions, and characters of the Lower Silurian rocks of Wale...

The Devonian period--Relations between the Old Red Sandstone and the marine Devonian deposits--The Old Red Sandstone of Scotland--The Devonian strata of Devonshire--Sequence and...

The Post-Pliocene period--Division of the Quaternary deposits into Post-Pliocene and Recent--Relations of the Post-Pliocene deposits of the northern hemisphere to the "Glacial p...

The general objects or geological science--The older theories of catastrophistic and intermittent action--The more modern doctrines of continuous and uniform action--Bearing of...

The breaks in the palæontological and geological record--Use of the term "contemporaneous" as applied to groups of strata--General sequence of strata and of life-forms interfere...

The Eocene period--Relations between the Kainozoic and Mesozoic rocks in Europe and in North America--Classification of the Tertiary deposits--The sequence and subdivisions of t...

The Triassic period--General characters and subdivisions of the Trias of the Continent of Europe and Britain--Trias of North America--Life of the period--Plants--Echinoderms--Cr...

Conclusions to be drawn from fossils--Age of rocks--Mode of origin of any fossiliferous bed--Fluviatile, lacustrine, and marine deposits--Conclusions as to climate--Proofs of el...

The Cambrian period--General succession of Cambrian deposits in Wales--Lower Cambrian and Upper Cambrian--Cambrian deposits of the continent of Europe and North American--Life o...

The Upper Silurian period--General succession of the Upper Silurian deposits of Wales--Upper Silurian deposits of North America--Life of the Upper Silurian--Plants--Protozoa--Gr...

The Pliocene period--Pliocene deposits of Britain--Of Europe--Of North America--Life of the period--Climate of the period as indicated by the Invertebrate animals--The Pliocene...