836 



TITANOTHERES OF ANCIENT WYOMING, DAKOTA, AND NEBRASKA 



and that of the physical environment. If these four 

 influences are all normal (typical) we shall have a 

 typical (normal) titano there; but if any of these 

 influences is disturbed or altered we shall have an 

 at3''pical (abnormal) titanothere. Therefore the true 

 interpretation of every titanothere, composed, as it 

 is, of hundreds or thousands of biocharacters, is that 

 each biocharacter is subject to the normal or abnormal 

 condition of these four factors of development. This 

 is the principle that was erroneously termed by the 

 author "the four inseparable factors of evolution." 

 The use of the term "evolution" was an error; the 

 principle should be termed "the four inseparable fac- 

 tors of somatic development," or the principle of 

 tetraplasv. 



The theory of the fourfold principle of evolution. — The 

 relation of this principle of tetraplasy in development 

 to the subsequently formulated theoiy of tetrakinesis 

 in evolution is as follows: The theory of tetrakinesis 

 applies to germinal evolution as distinguished from 

 somatic development; it is based upon the premise 

 that unless the causes of germinal evolution are wholly 

 internal and inherent in the germ itself, a supposition 

 which is not supported by the modes of evolution 

 actually observed, they must be internal-external; they 

 must consist of some kind or degree of physico- 

 chemical (that is, energetic) action, reaction, and 

 interaction between environmental, somatic, and 

 germinal changes which remain to be discovered. 

 Moreover, as aU physiological and functional rela- 

 tions thus far observed in mammals are either physi- 

 cal or chemical, and as aU physico-chemical relations 



represent phenomena of energy, we are impelled to 

 believe that the relations between the physical envi- 

 ronment, the life environment, the developing organ- 

 ism, and the germ will prove to be "energetic." 

 Hence our theory is termed tetrakinetic (rerpa, four; 

 KLvrjTTjs, energy) and may be expressed as follows: 



In each titanothere the phenomena of life represent 

 the action, reaction, and interaction of four complexes 

 of physico-chemical energy, those of (1) the geographic 

 environment; (2) the developing organism (proto- 

 plasm, germ chromatin, of the body cells); (3) the 

 germ chromatin of the reproductive cells, seat of 

 heredity; (4) the life environment. Upon the resultant 

 actions, reactions, and interactions of latent potential 

 (stored) and kinetic (active) energy in each organism 

 natural selection is constantly operating wherever 

 there is competition with the corresponding actions, 

 reactions, and interactions of other titanotheres and 

 other organisms. 



According to this energy conception of evolution 

 Darwin's principle of natural selection is not set aside 

 but remains extremely important; it is constantly 

 operating not only between organisms as a whole but 

 on their separate parts, and especially upon their 

 separate manifestations of energy, that have or lack 

 survival value, as shown in the following summary 

 representing the interchange of energy in the develop- 

 ing titanothere and between it and rival or competing 

 titanotheres and other animals. In each animal all 

 the individual changes noted in paragraphs 2, 3, and 4 

 take place in competition with similar changes in its 

 rivals, under Darwin's law of natural selection. 



Diagrammatic exposition of the development of organisms under the tetralcinetic theory 



Organism A (the developing titanothere) 



affected by the actions, reactions, and 

 interactions of 



1. Physical environment: Physico-chem- 



ical energies of space, of the sun, 

 earth, air, and water. 



2. Titanothere organism: Physico-chem- 



ical energies of the developing indi- 

 vidual in the tissues, cells, proto- 

 plasm, and cell chromatin of all 

 biocharacters. 



3. Titanothere heredity germ: Physico- 



chemical energies of the heredity 

 chromatin, included in the repro- 

 ductive cells and tissues, the predis- 

 positions of all biocharacters. 



4. Life environment: Physico-chemical 



energies of other organisms. 



In explanation of the above summary it may be said 

 that in development the principle of tetraplasy is well 

 established; it rests upon a great variety of observa- 

 tions on the physiology and anatomy — the function 

 and form — of many kinds of plants and animals. 

 According to this principle every biocharacter derives 

 from the germ the potential impulse or energy to 



A and B-Z mutually affected through the 

 operation of 



Darwin's law 



of 



natural selection, 



survival of the fittest: competition, and 

 the selection or elimination of energies 

 and forms having or lacking survival 

 value. 



Organisms B -Z (rival or competing titano- 

 theres and other animals) 

 affected by the actions, reactions, and 

 interactions of 



1. Physical environment: Physico-chem- 



ical energies of space, of the sun, 

 earth, air, and water. 



2. Animal organisms: Physico-chemical 



energies of the developing indi- 

 vidual in the tissues, cells, proto- 

 plasm, and cell chromatin of all 

 biocharacters. 



3. Animal heredity germ: Physico-chem- 



ical energies of the heredity chro- 

 matin, included in the reproduc- 

 tive cells and tissues, the predisposi- 

 tions of all biocharacters. 



4. Life environment: Physico-chemical 



energies of other organisms. 



reproduce its typical ancestral form or function in 

 the most minute detail. Each biocharacter is tetra- 

 plastic {reTpa, four; TrXatro-oj, to mold) in the sense 

 that its form is molded by the four influences of the 

 germ, the individual development (ontogeny), the 

 physical environment, and the life environment. 

 These influences are complexes of energy and matter 



