The Past Condition of Organic Nature by Thomas Henry Huxley
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"The Past Condition of Organic Nature" by Thomas Henry Huxley is a scientific publication in the form of a lecture delivered in the mid-19th century, specifically during the Victorian era. This book explores the principles of organic life, emphasizing the evolution and historical continuity of life forms from simple organisms to the complexity observed today, aligning with the debates sparked by Darwin's work on evolution. In this detailed lecture, Huxley analyses the
geological record and the formation of sedimentary layers, or "mud," as a chronology of past life on Earth. He discusses how organic remains are preserved in the geological strata and the challenges in interpreting these records due to their incompleteness and fragmentary nature. Huxley emphasizes that, despite the tremendous time spans involved, the fossil evidence shows significant continuity between past and present organisms, underscoring the small percentage of extinct animal orders. He concludes that as one moves deeper into the Earth’s crust, the variety of life forms becomes more distinct, revealing the developmental history of life on the planet. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
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About this eBook
| Author | Huxley, Thomas Henry, 1825-1895 |
|---|---|
| Title |
The Past Condition of Organic Nature Lecture II. (of VI.), "Lectures to Working Men", at the Museum of Practical Geology, 1863, on Darwin's Work: "Origin of Species" |
| Credits | Produced by Amy E. Zelmer, and David Widger |
| Reading Level | Reading ease score: 51.0 (10th to 12th grade). Somewhat difficult to read. |
| Language | English |
| LoC Class | QH: Science: Natural history |
| Subject | Evolution (Biology) |
| Subject | Darwin, Charles, 1809-1882. On the origin of species |
| Category | Text |
| eBook-No. | 2922 |
| Release Date | Nov 1, 2001 |
| Last Update | Jan 22, 2013 |
| Copyright | Public domain in the USA. |
| Downloads | 470 downloads in the last 30 days. |
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