The Ancient Life History of the Earth | Page 2

COLLEGE, ST ANDREWS.
October 2, 1876.

CONTENTS.

PART I.
PRINCIPLES OF PAL?ONTOLOGY.
INTRODUCTION.
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 these doctrines respectively on the origin or the existing terrestrial order--Elements or truth in Catastrophism--General truth of the doctrine of Continuity--Geological time.
CHAPTER I.
Definition of Pal?ontology--Nature of Fossils--Different processes of fossilisation.
CHAPTER II.
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 aqueous rocks--Mechanically-formed rocks, their characters and mode of origin--Chemically and organically formed rocks--Calcareous rocks--Chalk, its microscopic structure and mode of formation--Limestone, varieties, structure, and origin--Phosphate of lime--Concretions--Sulphate of lime--Silica and siliceous deposits of various kinds--Greensands--Red clays--Carbon and carbonaceous deposits.
CHAPTER III.
Chronological succession of the fossiliferous rocks--Tests or age of strata--Value of Pal?ontological evidence in stratigraphical Geology--General sequence of the great formations.
CHAPTER IV.
The breaks in the pal?ontological and geological record--Use of the term "contemporaneous" as applied to groups of strata--General sequence of strata and of life-forms interfered with by more or less extensive gaps--Unconformability--Phenomena implied by this--Causes of the imperfection of the pal?ontological record.
CHAPTER V.
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 elevation and subsidence of portions of the earth's crust derived from fossils.
CHAPTER VI.
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--Reference of fossil forms to the existing primary divisions of the animal kingdom--Departure of the older types of life from those now in existence--Resemblance of the fossils of a given formation to those of the formation next above and next below--Introduction of new life-forms.

PART II.
HISTORICAL PAL?ONTOLOGY.
CHAPTER VII.
The Laurentian and Huronian periods--General nature, divisions, and geographical distribution of the Laurentian deposits--Lower and Upper Laurentian--Reasons for believing that the Laurentian rocks are not azoic based upon their containing limestones, beds of oxide of iron, and graphite--The characters, chemical composition, and minute structure of Eozo?n Canadense--Comparison of Eozo?n with existing Foraminifera--Archoeosphoerinoe--Huronian formation--Nature and distribution of Huronian deposits--Organic remains of the Huronian--Literature.
CHAPTER VIII.
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 of the Cambrian period--Fucoids--Eophyton--Oldhamia--Sponges--Echinoderms--Annelides --Crustaceans--Structure of Trilobites--Brachiopods--Pteropods, Gasteropods, and Bivalves--Cephalopods--Literature.
CHAPTER IX.
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 Wales--General succession, subdivisions, and characters of the Lower Silurian rocks of the North American continent--Life of the period--Fucoids--Protozoa--Graptolites--Structure of Graptolites--Corals--General structure of Corals--Crinoids-- Cystideans--General characters of Cystideans--Annelides-- Crustaceans--Polyzoa--Brachiopods--Bivalve and Univalve Molluscs--Chambered Cephalopods--General characters of the Cephalopoda--Conodonts.
CHAPTER X.
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--Graptolites--Corals-- Crinoids--General structure of Crinoids--Star-fishes--Annelides-- Crustaceans--Eurypterids--Polyzoa--Brachiopods--Structure of Brachiopods--Bivalves and Univalves--Pteropods--Cephalopods-- Fishes--Silurian literature.
CHAPTER XI.
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 subdivisions of the Devonian deposits of North America--Life of the period--Plants--Protozoa--Corals-Crinoids--Pentremites-- Annelides--Crustaceans--Insects--Polyzoa--Brachiopods--Bivalves-- Univalves--Pteropods--Cephalopods--Fishes--General divisions of the Fishes--Pal?ontological evidence as to the independent existence of the Devonian system as a distinct formation--Literature.
CHAPTER XII.
The Carboniferous period--Relations of Carboniferous rocks to Devonian--The Carboniferous Limestone or Sub-Carboniferous series--The Millstone-grit and the Coal-measures--Life of the period--Structure and mode of formation of Coal--Plants of the Coal.
CHAPTER XIII.
Animal life of the Carboniferous period--Protozoa--Corals-- Crinoids--Pentremites--Structure of Pentremites--Echinoids-- Structure of Echinoidea--Annelides--Crustacea--Insects-- Arachnids--Myriapods--Polyzoa--Brachiopods--Bivalves and Univalves--Cephalopods--Fishes--Labyrinthodont Amphibians-- Literature.
CHAPTER XIV.
The Permian period--General succession, characters, and mode of formation of the Permian deposits--Life of the period-- Plants--Protozoa--Corals--Echinoderms--Annelides--Crustaceans-- Polyzoa--Brachiopods--Bivalves-Univalves--Pteropods-- Cephalopods--Fishes--Amphibians--Reptiles--Literature.
CHAPTER XV.
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--Crustaceans-- Polyzoa--Brachiopods--Bivalves--Univalves--Cephalopods-- Intermixture of Pal?ozoic with Mesozoic types of Molluscs-- Fishes--Amphibians--Reptiles--Supposed footprints of Birds-- Mammals--Literature.
CHAPTER XVI.
The Jurassic period--General sequence and subdivisions of the Jurassic deposits in Britain--Jurassic rocks of North America--Life of the period--Plants--Corals--Echinoderms--Crustaceans--Insects-- Brachiopods--Bivalves--Univalves-Pteropods--Tetrabranchiate Cephalopods--Dibranchiate Cephalopods--Fishes--Reptiles--Birds-- Mammals--Literature.
CHAPTER XVII.
The Cretaceous period--General succession and subdivisions of the Cretaceous rocks in Britain--Cretaceous rocks of North America--Life of the period--Plants--Protozoa--Corals--Echinoderms-- Crustaceans--Polyzoa--Brachiopods--Bivalves--Univalves-- Tetrabranchiate and Dibranchiate Cephalopods--Fishes--Reptiles-- Birds--Literature.
CHAPTER XVIII.
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 the Eocene rocks of Britain and France--Eocene strata of the United States--Life of the period--Plants--Foraminifera--Corals--Echinoderms--Mollusca--Fishes-- Reptiles--Birds--Mammals.
CHAPTER XIX.
The Miocene period--Miocene strata of Britain--Of France--Of Belgium--Of Austria--Of Switzerland--Of Germany--Of Greece--Of India--Of North America--Of the Arctic regions--Life of the period--Vegetation of the Miocene period--Foraminifera--Corals-- Echinoderms--Articulates--Mollusca--Fishes-Amphibians--Reptiles-- Mammals.
CHAPTER XX.
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 Mammalia--Literature relating to the Tertiary deposits and their fossils.
CHAPTER XXI.
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 period"--Pre-Glacial deposits--Glacial deposits--Arctic Mollusca in Glacial beds--Post-Glacial deposits--Nature and mode of formation