CONTENTS. 



PREFACE . 



LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 



PAGE 

 V 



xi 



SECTION I. 



GENERAL (PALJEONTOLOGICAL) BASES OF THE THEORY OF 

 EVOLUTION. 



CHAPTER I. 



ORIGIN OF THE PROBLEM AND DEFINITION OF QUESTIONS 

 INVOLVED. 



1. ORIGIN OF THE PROBLEM ...... 



2. QUESTIONS INVOLVED ...... 



3. CONCLUSIONS FROM CHAPTER I . 



1 



13 

 15 



CHAPTER II. 



RESULTS OF PALJEONTOLOGICAL RESEARCH INTO THE EVOLUTION 

 OF ORGANIC LIFE. 



A. PALJEONTOLOGICAL RESULTS . . . . . .18 



1. BRIEF PURVIEW OF THE CHRONOLOGICAL SUCCESSION OF THE 



LARGER ANIMAL GROUPS 18 



2. INTER-RELATIONS BETWEEN THE GREATER SYSTEMATIC GROUPS 



(FAMILIES, CLASSES, AND PARTLY ORDERS) ... 30 

 3. SOME PAL^ONTOLOGICAL ' LAWS ' ACCORDING TO WHICH THE 

 TRANSFORMATION PROCEEDED WITHIN DEFINED (NAR- 

 ROWER) GROUPS (FAMILIES, GENERA) .... 34 



B. RESULTS OF PAL^OBOTANY (EVOLUTION OF THE PLANT 



WORLD) 49 



1. BRIEF PURVIEW OF THE CHRONOLOGICAL SUCCESSION OF THE 



LARGER PLANT GROUPS 52 



