JUVENILE KELPS AND THE RECAPITULATION 

 THEOEY. II 



PROFESSOR ROBERT F. GREGGS 



II. The Recapitulation Theory in E elation to the 

 Kelps 



Any observations on juvenile kelps must call to mind 

 the recapitulation theory. This theory, though applied 

 both to animals and to plants, was built up exclusively on 

 zoological evidence and has been amplified and discussed 

 chiefly by zoologists. The reason is evident because of 

 the definite proportions and structure of the animal body, 

 the development of which must of necessity follow a very 

 definite course, while among plants the body is of such 

 loose and indefinite proportions that its development can 

 seldom be rigidly described. But while the botanists 

 have had very little to say about the recapitulation theory, 

 they have always approved it and considered that it ap- 

 plied to plants just as truly, though not as conspicuously, 

 as to animals. 



It is somewhat surprising then to a botanist to find that 

 this theory is being very vigorously attacked by some 

 of the zoologists. One of the more recent papers is by 

 Montgomery, who gives a review of the literature with a 

 general discussion of the theory in his " Analysis of Racial 

 Descent," 1906. In summing up he says (p. 193) : 



Therefoi 



s can only conclude that the embryogeny does i 



recapitulation of the phytogeny, not even a recapitulation marred 

 points by secondary change. ... An analysis of the 



ng the life of one individual < 



■ present a km 



ot its ancestry; and the method of comparing non-correspondei 

 s of two species is entirely wrong in principle. 



1 again at the close of the chapter, p. 203 : 



