Fossil corals: History of the Earth

THE SUCCESSION OF LIFE UPON THE GLOBE.

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 life upon the earth from the facts which have in the preceding portion of this work been passed in review. That there was a time when the earth was void of life is universally admitted, though it may be that the geological record gives us no direct evidence of this. That the globe of today is peopled with innumerable forms of life whose term of existence has been, for the most part, but as it were of yesterday, is likewise an assertion beyond dispute. Can we in any way connect the present with the remote past, and can we indicate even imperfectly the conditions and laws under which the existing order was brought about? The long series of fossiliferous deposits, with their almost countless organic remains, is the link between what has been and what is; and if any answer to the above question can be arrived at, it will be by the careful and conscientious study of the facts of Paleontology.

In the first place, it is certain that there has been a succession of life upon the earth, different specific and generic types succeeding one another in successive periods. It follows from this, that the animals and plants with which we are familiar as living, were not always upon the earth, but that they have been preceded by numerous races more or less differing from them. What is true of the species of animals and plants, is true also of the higher zoological divisions; and it is, in the second place, quite certain that there has been a similar succession in the order of appearance of the primary groups ("sub-kingdoms," "classes" ) of animals and vegetables. These great groups did not all come into existence at once, but they made their appearance successively. It is true that we cannot be said to be certainly acquainted with the first absolute Pa 36appearance of any great group of animals. No one dare assert positively that the apparent first appearance of Fishes in the Upper Silurian is really their first introduction upon the earth: indeed, there is a strong probability against any such supposition. To whatever extent, however, future discoveries may push back the first advent of any or of all of the great groups of life, there is no likelihood that anything will be found out which will materially alter the relative succession of these groups as at present known to us. It is not likely, for example, that the future has in store for us any discovery by which it would be shown that Fishes were in existence before Molluscs, or that Mammals made their appearance before Fishes. The sub-kingdoms of Invertebrate animals were all represented in Cambrian times and it might therefore be inferred thatthese had all come simultaneously into existence; but it is clear that this inference, though incapable of actual disproof, is in the last degree improbable. Anterior to the Cambrian is the great series of the Laurentian, which, owing to the metamorphism to which it has been subjected, has so far yielded but the singular Eozoön. We may be certain, however, that others of the Invertebrate sub-kingdoms besides the Protozoa were in existence in the Laurentian period; and we may infer from known analogies that they appeared successively, and not simultaneously.

If you are interested to read the entire book: The Ancient Life History of the Earth (by Henry Alleyne Nicholson), you can find it HERE . Is free !

The author of Fossil corals hopes that the link to Project Gutenberg  is useful.