KADIOGENESIS IK EVOLUTION. 



By HEBER A. LONGMAN. 



(Queensland Museum). 



{Read before the Royal Society of Queensland, May 25, 1914:) 



The somewhat ponderous title heading this paper re- 

 quires a little explanation. For some time past the writer has 

 been engaged in a kind of stock-taking of such literature 

 on Evolution as has been available for purposes of study. 

 And with this stock-taking, and the putting into shape 

 of a numerous collection of notes, there has seemed to be 

 a personal need for a re-setting of views and an elaboration 

 of old aspects. Probably many persons who are more or 

 less conversant with modern evolutionary literature have 

 been at times puzzled by conflicting theories, and have, 

 felt a similar need to attempt to gauge the . present 

 position. Thus there may be some utility in putting these 

 notes on record, even though the actual merit of originality 

 be ver}^ slight. The Evolution of thirty years ago is not 

 the Evolution of to-day. The impetus given by the work 

 of the great Darwin to many of his contemporaries was 

 responsible for a wealth of Uterature and research records, 

 much of which is of the greatest value : but with this, 

 there has been a tendency on the part of a few to dogmatic 

 utterances, and also an enthusiasm which sometimes puts 

 theorising far in advance of facts. Both as to the processes 

 and the dynamics of Evolution, assertions have been made 

 which are very inadequate, and, in some cases, quite 

 incorrect in the light of fuller knowledge. Numerous 

 theories, some of which are comparatively modem, have 



