The geographical distribution of animals, with a study of the relations ...
The geographical distribution of animals, with a study of the relations ... The geographical distribution of animals, with a study of the relations ...
1GG DISTRIBUTION OF EXTINCT ANIMALS. [part ii.is allied to the Menopoma living in North America. Speciesof frog (Bana), and Palceophryus an extinct genus of toads,have been found in the Miocene deposits of Germany andSwitzerland.Fresh water fish are almost unknown in the Tertiarydeposits of Europe, although most of the families and somegenera of living marine fish are represented from the Eocenedownwards.Antiquity of the Geneka of Insects.Fossil insects are far too rarely found, to aid us in our determinationof difficult questions of geographical distribution ; but indiscussing these questions it will be important to know, whetherwe are to look upon the existing generic forms of insects as ofgieat or small antiquity, compared with the higher vertebrates ;and to decide this question the materials at our command areample.The conditions requisite for the preservation of insects in afossil state are no doubt very local and peculiar ;the result being,that it is only at long intervals in the geological record that wemeet with remains of insects in a recognisable condition. Noneappear to have been found in the Pliocene formation ; but in theUpper Miocene of (Eninghen in Switzerland, associated with thewonderfully rich fossil flora, are found immense quantities ofinsects. Prof. Heer examined more than 5,000 specimens belongingto over 800 species, and many have been found in otherlocalities in Switzerland ;so that more than 1,300 species ofMiocene insects have now been determined.Most of the ordersare represented, but the beetles (Coleoptera) are far the mostabundant.Almost all belong to existing genera, and the majorityof these genera now inhabit Europe, only three or four beingexclusively Indian, African, or American.In the Lower Miocene of Croatia there is another rich depositof insects, somewhat more tropical in character, comprisinglarge white-ants and dragon-flies differently marked from any
——;chap, vm.] ANTIQUITY OF INSECTS. 167now inhabiting Europe. A butterfly is also well preserved, withall the markings of the wings ;and it seems to be a Junonia, atropical genus, though it may be a Vanessa, which is European,but the fossil most resembles Indian species of Junonia.The Eocene formations seem to have produced no insectremains ;but they occur again in the Upper Cretaceousat Aix-la-Chapelle, where two butterflies have been found,Cyllo sepulta and Satyrites Reynesii, both belonging to the Satyridse,and the former to a genus now spread over Africa, India,and Australia.A little earlier, in the Wealden formation of our own country,numerous insects have been found, principally dragon flies (Libellula,JEshna) ; aquatic Hemiptera (Velia Hydrometrci) ; cricketscockroaches, and cicadas, of familiar types.Further back in the Upper Oolite of Bavaria—which producedthe wonderful long-tailed bird, Archceopteryx—insects of all ordershave been found, including a moth referred to the existing genusSphinx.In the Lower Oolite of Oxfordshire many fossil beetles havebeen found whose affinities are shown by their names :Buprestidium,Curculionidium, Blapsidium, Mclolonthidium, and Prionidium; a wing of a butterfly has also been found, allied to theBrassolidse now confined to tropical America, and named Palmontinaoolitica.Still more remote are the insects of the Lias of Gloucestershire,yet they too can be referred to well-known family typesCarabidse, Melolonthidse, Telephoridae,Elateridse, and Curculionidse,among beetles;Gryllidse and Blattidae among Orthoptera;with Libelhda, Agrion, JEshna, Ephemera, and some extinctgenera. When we consider that almost the only vertebruta ofthis period were huge Saurian repliles like the Icthyosaurus,Plesiosaurtts, and Dinosaurus, with the flying Pterodactylesand that the great mass of our existing genera,and even families,of fish and reptiles had almost certainly not come into existence,we see at once that types of insect-form are, proportionately,far more ancient. At this remote epoch we find the chief familytypes (the genera of the time of Linnaeus) perfectly differentiated
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——;chap, vm.] ANTIQUITY OF INSECTS. 167now inhabiting Europe. A butterfly is also well preserved, <strong>with</strong>all <strong>the</strong> markings <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> wings ;and it seems to be a Junonia, atropical genus, though it may be a Vanessa, which is European,but <strong>the</strong> fossil most resembles Indian species <strong>of</strong> Junonia.<strong>The</strong> Eocene formations seem to have produced no insectremains ;but <strong>the</strong>y occur again in <strong>the</strong> Upper Cretaceousat Aix-la-Chapelle, where two butterflies have been found,Cyllo sepulta and Satyrites Reynesii, both belonging to <strong>the</strong> Satyridse,and <strong>the</strong> former to a genus now spread over Africa, India,and Australia.A little earlier, in <strong>the</strong> Wealden formation <strong>of</strong> our own country,numerous insects have been found, principally dragon flies (Libellula,JEshna) ; aquatic Hemiptera (Velia Hydrometrci) ; cricketscockroaches, and cicadas, <strong>of</strong> familiar types.Fur<strong>the</strong>r back in <strong>the</strong> Upper Oolite <strong>of</strong> Bavaria—which produced<strong>the</strong> wonderful long-tailed bird, Archceopteryx—insects <strong>of</strong> all ordershave been found, including a moth referred to <strong>the</strong> existing genusSphinx.In <strong>the</strong> Lower Oolite <strong>of</strong> Oxfordshire many fossil beetles havebeen found whose affinities are shown by <strong>the</strong>ir names :Buprestidium,Curculionidium, Blapsidium, Mclolonthidium, and Prionidium; a wing <strong>of</strong> a butterfly has also been found, allied to <strong>the</strong>Brassolidse now confined to tropical America, and named Palmontinaoolitica.Still more remote are <strong>the</strong> insects <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Lias <strong>of</strong> Gloucestershire,yet <strong>the</strong>y too can be referred to well-known family typesCarabidse, Melolonthidse, Telephoridae,Elateridse, and Curculionidse,among beetles;Gryllidse and Blattidae among Orthoptera;<strong>with</strong> Libelhda, Agrion, JEshna, Ephemera, and some extinctgenera. When we consider that almost <strong>the</strong> only vertebruta <strong>of</strong>this period were huge Saurian repliles like <strong>the</strong> Icthyosaurus,Plesiosaurtts, and Dinosaurus, <strong>with</strong> <strong>the</strong> flying Pterodactylesand that <strong>the</strong> great mass <strong>of</strong> our existing genera,and even families,<strong>of</strong> fish and reptiles had almost certainly not come into existence,we see at once that types <strong>of</strong> insect-form are, proportionately,far more ancient. At this remote epoch we find <strong>the</strong> chief familytypes (<strong>the</strong> genera <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> time <strong>of</strong> Linnaeus) perfectly differentiated
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