CHAPTER VII 

 How THE MAMMALS DEVELOPED 



WHEN the idea of evolution first began to be much 

 discussed, especially after the publication of the "Ori- 

 gin of Species," there were several points which up- 

 peared to be more than commonly difficult of ex- 

 planation. It did not seem impossible that the vari- 

 ous types of domesticated cattle should have descended 

 from a common ancestor. It did not seem difficult 

 of comprehension that the dog might once have been 

 a wolf. Though not quite so credible, it did not seem 

 absurd that the tigers, lions, and leopards should have 

 once all been alike. The resemblance between these 

 are strong enough to make the idea seem conceivable. 

 Though men were willing to concede this much, they 

 insisted that the great branches of the animal king- 

 dom varied so widely from each other as to make it 

 certain that each was a separate creation. It was par- 

 ticularly objected that the mammals differed so en- 

 tirely from other animals in several important par- 

 ticulars that a special divine act was necessary for 

 their appearance. The mammals have a furry cover- 



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