INVERTEBRATE 

 PALAEONTOLOGY 



PART I. MATERIALS, METHODS 

 AND PRINCIPLES 



CHAPTER I 

 THE SCIENCE OF PALAEONTOLOGY 



(I) SCOPE 



THE science of Palaeontology is concerned with 

 organisms that have existed during periods of 

 the Earth's history prior to the stage usually 

 called " the present day." It is clear that there is no 

 rigid line whereby Palaeontology can be separated 

 from Biology ; to-day will be " the past " to-morrow. 

 The two sciences are intimately related and largely 

 interdependent, just as Geology is linked with Geography. 

 But Palaeontology cannot be treated as a mere branch 

 of Biology ; not only does the nature of its materials 

 lead to adoption of widely different methods, but many 

 of its problems are foreign to those confronting students 

 of forms now living. If any logical connexion between 

 the two sciences is to be maintained, Biology must be 

 subordinated as a particular section, almost an aftermath, 

 of Palaeontology. Such degradation would not meet 

 with approval by Biologists, nor would it adequately 

 express the relation between the two lines of inquiry ; 

 so that both must retain their independence. 



