An Essay on Classification

by Louis Agassiz

Overview

Reprint of the original, first published in 1859.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9783375125684
Publisher:	Salzwasser-Verlag
Publication date:	10/23/2022
Pages:	392
Product dimensions:	5.83(w) x 8.27(h) x 0.87(d)

Table of Contents

	Editor's Introduction	ix
	A Note on the Text	xxxiv
Chapter I.	The Fundamental Relations of Animals to One Another and to the World in Which They Live as the Basis of the Natural System of Animals
Section I.	The Leading Features of a Natural Zoological System Are All Founded in Nature	3
Section II.	Simultaneous Existence of the Most Diversified Types under Identical Circumstances	13
Section III.	Repetition of Identical Types under the Most Diversified Circumstances	18
Section IV.	Unity of Plan in Otherwise High Diversified Types	20
Section V.	Correspondence in the Details of Structure in Animals Otherwise Entirely Disconnected	21
Section VI.	Various Degrees and Different Kinds of Relationship among Animals	24
Section VII.	Simultaneous Existence in the Earliest Geological Periods of All the Great Types of Animals	26
Section VIII.	The Gradation of Structure among Animals	29
Section IX.	Range of the Geographical Distribution of Animals	34
Section X.	Identity of Structure of Widely Distributed Types	40
Section XI.	Community of Structure among Animals Living in the Same Regions	46
Section XII.	Serial Connection in the Structure of Animals Widely Scattered upon the Surface of Our Globe	49
Section XIII.	Relation between the Size of Animals and Their Structure	54
Section XIV.	Relations between the Size of Animals and the Mediums in Which They Live	56
Section XV.	Permanency of Specific Peculiarities in All Organized Beings	58
Section XVI.	Relations between Animals and Plants and the Surrounding World	65
Section XVII.	Relations of Individuals to One Another	72
Section XVIII.	Metamorphoses of Animals	76
Section XIX.	Duration of Life	89
Section XX.	Alternate Generations	91
Section XXI.	Succession of Animals and Plants in Geological Times	94
Section XXII.	Localization of Types in Past Ages	99
Section XXIII.	Limitation of Species to Particular Geological Periods	101
Section XXIV.	Parallelism between the Geological Succession of Animals and Plants and Their Present Relative Standing	104
Section XXV.	Parallelism between the Geological Succession of Animals and the Embryonic Growth of Their Living Representatives	110
Section XXVI.	Prophetic Types among Animals	115
Section XXVII.	Parallelism between the Structural Gradation of Animals and Their Embryonic Growth	117
Section XXVIII.	Relations between the Structure, the Embryonic Growth, the Geological Succession, and the Geographical Distribution of Animals	119
Section XXIX.	Mutual Dependence of the Animal and Vegetable Kingdoms	122
Section XXX.	Parasitic Animals and Plants	123
Section XXXI.	Combinations in Time and Space of Various Kinds of Relations among Animals	127
Section XXXII.	Recapitulation	132
Chapter II.	Leading Groups of the Existing Systems of Animals
Section I.	Great Types or Branches of the Animal Kingdom	139
Section II.	Classes of Animals	148
Section III.	Orders among Animals	155
Section IV.	Families	161
Section V.	Genera	169
Section VI.	Species	171
Section VII.	Other Natural Divisions among Animals	179
Section VIII.	Successive Development of Characters	182
Section IX.	The Categories of Analogy	187
Section X.	Conclusions	194
Chapter III.	Notice of the Principal Systems of Zoology
Section I.	General Remarks upon Modern Systems	197
Section II.	Early Attempts to Classify Animals	208
Section III.	Period of Linnaeus	210
Section IV.	Period of Cuvier and Anatomical Systems	215
Section V.	Physiophilosophical Systems	235
Section VI.	Embryological Systems	245
	Index	261