The Rise and Progress of Palaeontology / Essay #2 from "Science and Hebrew Tradition"

The essay traces the development of palaeontology from early conjectures about shells and bones found in rock to its establishment as a disciplined science. It reviews competing explanations—fossils as remains of organisms, as mineral imitations, or as abortive growths—and explains how stratigraphical reasoning and comparative anatomy settled the question. It surveys the work of key investigators who organized fossil evidence and the rapid multiplication of known fossil forms, including entire groups recorded only in stone. Finally, it highlights the chemical and geological processes involved in fossilization and emphasizes that many discoveries and open questions remain as exploration continues.