272 THE FITNESS OF THE ENVIRONMENT 



than the other, nor less invariably a constitu- 

 ent of a particular case of biological fitness; 

 it is not less frequently evident in the char- 

 acteristics of water, carbonic acid, and the 

 compounds of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen 

 than is fitness from adaptation in the char- 

 acteristics of the organism. 



II. The fitness of the environment results 

 from characteristics which constitute a series 

 of maxima — unique or nearly unique prop- 

 erties of water, carbonic acid, the compounds 

 of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen and the 

 ocean — so numerous, so varied, so nearly 

 complete among all things which are concerned 

 in the problem that together they form cer- 

 tainly the greatest possible fitness. No other 

 environment consisting of primary constitu- 

 ents made up of other known elements, or 

 lacking water and carbonic acid, could possess 

 a like number of fit characteristics or such 

 highly fit characteristics, or in any manner 

 such great fitness to promote complexity, 

 durability, and active metabolism in the organic 

 mechanism which we call life. 



It must not be forgotten that the possibility 

 of such conclusions depends upon the universal 

 character of physics and chemistry. Out of 

 the properties of universal matter and the 

 characteristics of universal energy has arisen 



