Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: Physical geography / by Mary Somerville. Source: Wellcome Collection.
Provider: This material has been provided by the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. The original may be consulted at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.
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![lias a greater nuui'ber of the exuvias of existing species of shells ; aud the Pliocene,'^ or upjie?- (jrou]), a still larger proportion. Though frequently heaved up to great elevations on the flanks of the mountain chains, as, e.g., in the Alps and Apennines, often as- suming a vertical stratification, a part of the Tertiary strata main- tain their original horizontal position in the places where they -were deposited. Immense insulated deposits of this kind are to he met ■with all over the world: Europe abounds with them; London, Paris, Rome, and Vienna stand on such strata; and they cover immense tracts hoth in North and South America. The gigantic reptiles had mostly disappeared, and mammalia, of forms scarcely less anomalous, though approaching more nearly to animals now living, took possession of the earth. Numerous species of extinct animals, of the order of Tachyiler- mata^ that lived during the Eocene period, and to the gi-eater number of which we have nothing analogous, have been found in various parts of the world, especially in the Paris basin ; they were mostly herbivorous quadrupeds, which frequented the borders of the rivers and lakes that covered the greater part of Europe at that time. This is the more extraordinary, as existing animals most similar to them, the tapirs for instance, are confined to the tropical countries. These creatiures were widely diffiised, and some of them were associated with genera still existing, though of totally dif- ferent species; such as animals allied to the racoon aud dor- mouse, the ox, bear, deer, fox, dog, &'c., &c. Although these quad- rupeds differ from those of the present day, the same proportion, existed then as now between the carnivorous and herbivorous genera. Remains oimarine mammalia ^ of this period have also been found, sometimes at great elevations above the sea, all of extmct species ; some of these cetacea were of huge size. This marvellous change in the living creation was not confined to the earth aud the ocean; the air also was now occupied by many extinct races of birds allied to the owl, buzzard, quail, ciulew, &c. The climate must stiU have been warmer than at present, from the remains ot land and sea plants allied to those now growing in equatorial latitudes. Even in England bones of the opossum, monkey, crocodile, and boa have been discovered, animals of warmer latitudes, besides 1 Fliocene (Gr. 7rA6;<ov = ')norc,' Kaii/d9 = 'iiew, recent') isthetermapplieil to the most recent Tertiary deposits in which upwards of 40 per cent, of the fossil shells are of recent species. _ - 2 Fachydei-mata are thick-sidnned animals, as the rlnnoceros, hog, ele- seals, walruses, whales, porpoises, &c.](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b21961086_0046.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
