CnAP. X. STATE OF DEVELOPMENT. 31 3 



only moderately lonp;' as measured f^coloo-ically, closely-allied 

 Forms, or, as they have been called by some authors, represent- 

 ative species ; and these assuredly we do find. We find, in 

 short, such evidence of the slow and scarcely-sensible muta- 

 tion of specific forms as we have the right to expect. 



On the State of DevelojJmoit of AncieJit comjtared with Liv- 

 ing Forms. 



We have seen in the fourth chapter that the degree of 

 differentiation and specialization of the parts in all organic 

 beings, when arrived at maturity, is the best standard, as yet 

 suggested, of their degree of perfection or highness. We 

 have also seen that, as the specialization of parts and organs 

 is an advantage to each being, so natural selection will tend 

 to render the organization of each being more specialized and 

 perfect, and in this sense higher ; not but that it may and 

 will leave many creatures with siin])li' and unimproved struct- 

 ures fitted for simple conditions of life, and in some cases will 

 even degrade or simplify the organization, yet leaving such 

 degraded beings better fitted for their new walks of life. In 

 another and more general manner, new species will become 

 superior to their predecessors; for they will have to beat in the 

 struggle for life all the older forms with which they come into 

 close competition. We may therefore conclude that, if under 

 n nearly similar climate the eocene inhabitants of the world 

 could be put into competition with the existing inhobitants, 

 (he former would be beaten and exterminated by the latter, as 

 would the secondary by the eocene, and the paleozoic by the 

 secondary forms. So that by this fundamental test of victory 

 in the battle for life, as well as by the standard of the spociali- 

 zaticjn of organs, modern forms ought on the theory of natu- 

 ral selection to stand higher than ancient fonns. Is this the 

 case ? A large majority of paleontologists wcnikl answer in 

 the affirmative ; and I suppose that the answer must he ad- 

 mitted as true, though dillicult of full proof. 



It is no valid objection to this conclusion, that certain 

 BrachiopcKls have been but slightly modilied from an extremely 

 remote geological epoch. It is not an insuperable diniculty 

 that Foramiiiifera have not, as insisted on b}* Dr. ('arp<'nter, 

 ])rogress*ed in organization since even the Laurentian epoch : 

 for some organisms would have to remain iitted for simple con- 

 ditions of life, and what could be better fitted for this end than 

 14 



