Essay on the Theory of the Earth
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About This Book
Essay on the Theory of the Earthwas the last work of the scientific writer Robert Kerr who translated it from the introductory essay of George Cuvier's four-volumeRecherches sur les ossements fossiles de quadrupedes. Before its first publication in 1813, the essay was partly expanded by the geologist and natural historian Robert Jameson who wrote a preface and included extensive notes on mineralogy. Using geological evidence as its principal source of enquiry, Cuvier's essay attempts to address the questions of the origins of the human race, the formation of the earth, and the correlation betw...
Chapters (635)(click to expand)
- ESSAY ON THE THEORY OF THE EARTH.
- PREFACE TO THE FIFTH EDITION.
- ADVERTISEMENT TO FOURTH EDITION.
- PREFACE TO THE THIRD EDITION.
- CONTENTS.
- GEOLOGICAL ILLUSTRATIONS
- LIST OF PLATES.
- PRELIMINARY OBSERVATIONS.
- Plan of this Essay.
- First Appearance of the Earth.
- First proofs of Revolutions on the surface of the Globe.
- Proofs that such revolutions have been numerous.
- Proofs that these Revolutions have been sudden.
- Proofs that there have been Revolutions anterior to the existence of living beings.
- Examination of the Causes which act at present on the surface of the Globe.
- Of Slips, or Falling down of the Materials of Mountains.
- Alluvial Formations[8].
- Formation of Downs.[9]
- Formation of Cliffs or Steep Shores.
- Depositions formed in Water.
- Stalactites.
- Lithophytes.
- Incrustation.
- Volcanoes.
- Constant Astronomical Causes.
- Older Systems of Geologists.
- More recent Systems.
- Diversities of all the Systems.
- Causes of these differences.
- Nature and Conditions of the Problem.
- Reason for which the Conditions of the Problem have been neglected.
- Progress of Mineral Geology.
- Importance of Fossil Remains in Geology.
- High importance of the Fossil Bones of Quadrupeds.
- Small probability of discovering New Species of large Quadrupeds.
- Inquiry respecting the Fabulous Animals of the Ancients.
- Difficulty of determining the Fossil Bones of Quadrupeds.
- Principle by which this determination is effected.
- View of the General Results of these Researches.
- Relations of the Species of Fossil Animals with the Strata in which they are found.
- Proofs that the Extinct Species of Quadrupeds are not varieties of the presently existing Species.
- Proofs that there are no Fossil Human Bones.
- Physical Proofs of the Newness of the Present Continents.
- Additions of Land by the Action of Rivers.
- Progress of the Downs.
- Peat-Mosses and Slips.
- The History of Nations confirms the Newness of the Continents.
- The very remote Antiquity attributed to certain Nations is not supported by History.
- The Astronomical Monuments left by the Ancients do not bear the excessively remote dates which have been attributed to them.
- Construction and Use of the Table.
- The Zodiac is far from bearing in itself a certain and excessively remote date.
- Exaggerations relative to the Antiquity of certain Mining Operations.
- General Conclusion relative to the Period of the last Revolution.
- Further Researches to be made in Geology.
- Recapitulation of the Observations upon the Succession of the Tertiary Formations.
- Enumeration of the Fossil Animals recognised by the Author.
- APPENDIX.
- On the birds to which the name of Ibis was given by the ancient Egyptians.
- GEOLOGICAL ILLUSTRATIONS,
- On the Subsidence of Strata.
- Deluge.
- FORMATION OF PRIMITIVE MOUNTAINS.
- ON THE DISTRIBUTION OF BOULDER STONES IN SCOTLAND, HOLLAND, GERMANY, SWITZERLAND, AND AMERICA.
- ON THE ALLUVIAL LAND OF THE DANISH ISLANDS IN THE BALTIC, AND ON THE COAST OF SLESWIGH.
- ON THE SAND-FLOOD.
- Sand-Flood in Morayshire.
- Sand-Flood in the Hebrides, and other parts of Scotland.
- The moving Sands of Africa and their effects are thus described in the Mercure de France for September 1809, by De Luc.
- Action of the Sea upon Coasts.
- On the growth of Coral Islands.
- ON THE LEVEL OF THE BALTIC.
- FOSSIL REMAINS OF THE HUMAN SPECIES.
- Account of the Displacement of that part of the Coast of the Adriatic which is occupied by the Mouths of the Po.
- On the Universal Deluge.
- ON THE ACTION OF RUNNING WATERS.
- 1. Action of Torrents.
- 2. Action of Rivers.
- 3. Action of Waves.
- 4. Action of Currents.
- On the Connection of Geology with Agriculture and Planting[410].
- ACCOUNT OF THE IRISH ELK, FOSSIL ELEPHANT OR MAMMOTH, AND THE MASTODON.
- 1. Fossil Elk of Ireland, Cervus megaceros[417].
- 2. Account of the Two Living Species of Elephant, and of the Extinct Species of Elephant, or Mammoth.
- 3. On the Great Mastodon, or Animal of the Ohio.
- ON THE CAVES IN WHICH BONES OF CARNIVOROUS ANIMALS OCCUR IN GREAT QUANTITIES.
- ACCOUNT OF THE CAVE CONTAINING BONES AT ADELSBERG IN CARNIOLA.
- TABULAR VIEW
- TABULAR VIEW
- FOOTNOTES:
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