An Introduction to the Study of Fossils (Plants and Animals)
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ALBERT R. MANN LIBRARY AT CORNELL UNIVERSITY THE GIFT OF Mrs. Winthrop Crane III DATE DUE IPPffl*^ HfflHHIfff IGOO APR i 3 IINTEO IN U.S.A. Cornell University Library QE 713.S55 An introduction to the study of fossils 3 1924 001 613 599 Cornell University Library The original of tliis book is in tine Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31 924001 61 3599 AN INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY OF FOSSILS THE MACMILLAN COMPANY NEW YORK • BOSTON • CHICAGO - DALLAS ATLANTA • SAN FRANCISCO MACMILLAN &: CO., Limited LONDON • BOMBAY CALCUTTA MELBOURNE THE MACMILLAN CO. OF CANADA, Ltd. TORONTO AN INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY OF FOSSILS (PLANTS AND ANIMALS) BY HERVEY WOODBURN SHIMER, A.M., Ph.D. ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF PALEONTOLOGY IN THE MASSA- CHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY Wefa gorfe THE MACMILLAN COMPANY 1924 All rights reseinjed -713 Copyright, 1914, By the MACMILLAN COMPANY. Set up and electrotyped. Published November, 1914. J. 8. Gushing Co. — Berwick & Smith Co. Norwood, Masa., U.S.A. MY WIFE COMRADE AND COLLABORATOR THIS BOOK IS DEDICATED PREFACE This little volume has grown out of a need experienced by the author during fifteen years of teaching paleontology. He has found that students come to the subject either with very little previous training in biology, or at best with a training which has not been along the lines that would definitely aid them in understanding fossils. Too often fossils are looked upon merely as bits of stone, differing only in form from the rocks in which they are embedded. Hence to awaken interest in them as once living animals and plants, connected by the wonderful chain of evolution with the animals and plants now living, has been the chief aim of the author's lectures and laboratory work upon introductory paleontology which he here presents. To this end certain Hving forms have first been discussed as types of their phyla or classes with especial reference to those features which will help the student to understand the related fossil forms considered later. The response which these living forms make to their environment is considered, where they live, how their life is maintained and how they perpetuate their kind. The relation of the soft body to the hard skeleton or shell is especially emphasized, since it is largely through this very intimate relationship that our interpretation of extinct life is made possible. The student may thus reconstruct from the hard parts preserved in the rocks the appearance of the once living animal. The discussion has been kept as free as possible from unnecessary technical terms. Beyond this work of showing how past life may be interpreted by the life of the present, and beyond this first comprehensive view of the animal and plant world, such a book as this need : viii PREFACE not go. For further and more detailed study of the fossils themselves other books furnish ample material. The author is indebted to many persons for aid in the prepa- ration of this volume, and in particular wishes to express his gratitude to the following for criticism of various portions of the manuscript and for the loan of illustrations R. S. Bassler of the United States National Museum, Louis Hussakof of the American Museum of Natural History, Gary N. Calkins and Amadeus W. Grabau of Columbia University, John M. Clarke and Rudolph Ruedemann of the New York State Geologic Survey, Charles Schuchert and Richard S. Lull of Yale University, Percy E. Raymond and William F. Clapp of the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Francis N. Balch of Boston, Robert T. Jackson and Joseph A. Cushman of the Boston Society of Natural History, Charles H. Warren and R. P. Bigelow of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Edward S. Morse of the Peabody Academy of Science, Salem, and S. W. Williston of Chicago University. To G. R. Wieland of Yale University he feels especially in- debted for most valuable suggestions on, and the loan of illus- trations for, the chapter on plants. The original drawings in the book owe much to the scientific knowledge and personal interest which their delineator, Mr. J. Henry Blake of Cam- bridge, has contributed to their execution. : CONTENTS INTRODUCTION PAGE Organic and inorganic matter 1 Plants and animals distinguished 2 Fossils 3 Conditions of preservation ....... 3 Classification of fossils ....... 8 Process of fossilization ........ 9 Restoration of fossils 17 Color 20 Fossil objects due to inorganic agencies .... 20 Distortion .... .... 21 Pseudo-fossils 21 Collecting fossils 22 Index fossils . 22 Migration, etc 23 Naming of organisms 24 Composition of hard parts ....... 25 PLANTS : Division I, Thallophyta .... 32 Sub-division A, Myxomycetie 33 Sub-division B, Schizophyta 33 Sub-division C, Diatomeae 34 Sub-division D, Algae 35 Sub-division E, Fungi 40 Division II, Bryophyta .... 42 Division III, Pteridophyta .... 44 Order a, Filicales 46 Order b, Equisetales 48 Order c, Lycopodiales . 51 Order d, Sphenophyllales 55 ix CONTENTS PLANTS {Continued) : PAGE Division IV, Spermatophyta Sub-division A, Gymnospermae Order a, Cycadofilicales Order i, Cycadales Family 1, Cycadeoidese Family 2, Cycadeae Order c, Cordaitales Order d, Ginkgoales Order e, Coniferales Order/; Gnetales, Sub-division B, Angiospermae Class 1, Monocotyledones Class 2, Dicotyledones CONTENTS XI {Continued) : ANIMALS ^^^^ General survey of class ........ 112 Order 1, Graptolithida . .... 113 Type of order, Diplograptiis foliaceus .... 113 General survey of order ....... 115 Fossil examples ........ 117 Class B, Scyphozoa ......... 121 Class C, Anthozoa 122 Type of class, Astrangia dams .... 122 General survey and classification of class .... 128 Fossil examples ........ 131 Class D, Ctenophora 139 Phylum IV, Platyhelminthes 140 Phylum V, Nemathelminthes 140 Phylum VI, Trochelminthes 141 Phylum VII, Annula Xll CONTENTS ANIMALS {Continued) : Class C, Crinoidea General survey of class . Type of class, Pentacrinus Fossil example Class D, Asteroidea General survey of class . Fossil example Class E, Ophiuroidea General survey of class Class F, Echinoidea General survey of class . Type of class, Strongylocentrotus Fossil example Class G, Holothurioidea General survey of class Phylum IX, Molluscoidea General survey and classification . Class A, Bryozoa ...... Type of class, Bugula avicularia . General survey of class .... Fossil and living examples Class B, Phoronida . Class C, Brachiopoda ..... Type of class, Terebratulina septentnonalis General survey of class Fossil and living examples Phylum X, Mollusca General survey and classification . Class A, Amphineura . Class B, Pelecypoda Type of class, Venus mercenaria . General survey of class . Fossil and living examples Class C, Gastropoda .... Type of class, Busycon canaliculatus General survey of class . Fossil and living examples Class D, Scaphopoda .... CONTENTS XUl ANIMALS {Continued) : Class E, Cephalopoda Type of class, Nautilus pompilius . General survey and classification Fossil and living examples Phylum XI, Arthropoda General survey and classification Class A, Crustacea . Type of class, Cambarus General survey and classification Sub-class 1, Trilobita Type of sub-class, Triarthrus General survey of sub-class Fossil examples Sub-class 2, Phyllopoda Summary Type of sub-class, Afns . Fossil examples Sub-class 3, Ostracoda Summary Fossil and living examples Sub-class 4, Copepoda Sub-class 5, Cirripedia Summary Fossil examples Sub-class 6, Malacostraca Summary and classification Fossil and living examples Sub-class 7, Stomatopoda Class B, Onychophora Class C, Myriopoda Class D, Arachnida General survey and classification Order 1, Xiphosura Summary of order . Fossil and living examples Order 2, Eurypterida Summary of order Fossil examples Order 3, Limulava Orders 4-16 XIV CONTENTS ANIMALS {Continued) : page Class E, Insecta .......•• 317 General survey ......... 317 Summary of orders 318 Phylum XII, Chokdata General survey and classification Sub-phylum 1, Adelochorda . Sub-phylum 2, Urochorda Sub-phylum 3, Vertebrata Summary and classification Division a, Acrania Division b, Craniata Summary and classification Type of Vertebrata, Felis domestica Class A, Cyclostomata ..... Summary with fossil and living examples Class B, Ostracodermi . Summary with fossil examples Class C, Pisces General survey and classification Fossil and living examples Class D, Amphibia General survey and classification Fossil and living examples Class E, Reptilia . General survey and classification Fossil and living examples Class F, Aves .... General survey and classification Fossil and living examples . Class G, Mammalia General survey and classification Fossil and living examples Bibliography Geologic Time Scale Tabular View of the Plant Kingdom Tabular View of the Animal Kingdom Index — Glossary ... AN INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY OF FOSSILS AN INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY OF FOSSILS INTRODUCTION ORGANIC AND INORGANIC MATTER Matter is either organic or inorganic. Organic matter is arranged in the form of a plant or animal body, and is so called because it is made up of various organs such as those for eat- ing, breathing and reproduction. In the lowest organisms the entire body forms but a single organ. When matter is not thus organized, as in air, earth and water, it is called inorganic. Food in the shape of lifeless matter, including many inorganic substances and those organic substances in which all the organs have ceased functioning, is absorbed by functioning organisms,