I INTRODUCTION 



ised geologists and biologists only. It is, so to speak, at the base of 

 the everyday life of you and me and everybody. 



There is, of course, also a special interest to religious people. To 

 many churchmen of all denominations the dilemma of creation or 

 development of life on earth through natural causes is a prime 

 question, which might touch at the very heart of religion. As a 

 geologist I have tried to set forth clearly the facts we know and the 

 methods we use, in our mode of thinking, to combine these facts into 

 mental pictures. As a geologist I have, of course, not touched upon 

 possible repercussions of these pictures on religious teaching. But I 

 think I have attained my goal when my side of this problem — the 

 findings of a naturalist with a special training in geology — is com- 

 municated comprehensibly to the interested reader. 



GEOLOGISTS AND THE ORIGIN OF LIFE 



Before proceeding any further, I think it would be best to look into 

 the backgrounds, and reach an understanding of the negative attitude 

 many geologists have towards the problems concerning the origin of 

 life on earth. 



Geologic history covers an enormous time-span and the problems 

 it poses to the geologist are as interesting and varied as they are 

 often difficult to solve. An answer to each and every question can 

 generally only be attempted after much painstaking work: work of 

 a highly romantic character, it is true; work in the field, in actual 

 mapping and investigating rugged mountains or impenetrable jungles; 

 work, it follows, which greatly taxes the scientists energy and which 

 must, moreover, be followed up in the laboratory by equally time- 

 consuming microscopic and chemical studies of rock samples and by 

 the identification and classification of the fossils collected. 



Consequently geologists tend to concentrate on those problems that 

 seem relatively easy to solve, and for which enough material facts 

 are at hand. Among the problems relating to the history of life on 

 earth, over the geological past, this has led to a concentrated effort 

 on the study of the later evolution of life. Although the paleonto- 

 logical record is horrifyingly incomplete, still, life on earth has 

 supplied us with its fossilised representatives for the last half billion 

 years. This offers ample working material for any number of paleont- 

 ologists for years to come. 



