Evolution: Its nature, its evidence, and its relation to religious thoughtLeConte, Joseph
Religion
Evolution: Its nature, its evidence, and its relation to religious thought
LeConte, Joseph
Evolution (Biology); Evolution (Biology) -- Religious aspects; Religion and science
These last three, therefore,
are _sense-appendages_. Some writers make this last pair special
organs, not homologous with appendages.
[Illustration: FIG. 29.--Appendages of a prawn (after Cuvier).]
[Illustration: FIG. 30.--Appendages of Nebalia.]
For the sake of greater distinctness, we give the whole series of these
appendages in one of the higher forms, viz., the prawn (Palemon, Fig.
29, and in one of the lower forms, Nebalia, Fig. 30).
[Illustration: FIG. 31.--Vibilia, an amphibod crustacean (after Milne
Edwards).]
That these are really homologous parts is further shown by the fact
that in the case of other crustaceans, such as limulus, the same
appendages, i. e., the appendages of the same body segments, which in
the cases before mentioned are used as feet, become swimmers, while
the appendages corresponding to jaw-feet become walkers; and even what
corresponds to antennæ or sense-appendages, may, as in branchippus,
become powerful claspers. Finally, in all the lowest crustaceans, the
identity is evident, because all the segments and their appendages are
much alike in form and function (Fig. 31).
[Illustration: FIG. 32.--Lithobius forcipatus (after Carpenter).]
We have taken examples from near the middle of the articulate scale,
because, as already stated, both the essential identity and the
adaptive modifications are easily traced. If we go downward in the
scale, the structure becomes more and more generalized, and the rings
and appendages become more and more alike (Fig. 31), until in the most
generalized forms we have only a series of similar rings, with similar
pairs of appendages, except some necessary modifications to form the
head and tail. This is well shown in the centiped (Fig. 32), and still
better in marine worms (Fig. 33). In some marine worms the slight
modification to form the head takes place under our very eyes. These
often multiply by dividing themselves into two. When they do so, they
make a new head and new tail by slight modification of segments and
appendages (Fig. 33).
[Illustration: FIG. 33.--Syllis prolifera.]
If, on the other hand, we go up the scale, we find adaptive
modifications obscuring more and more the simple and obvious identity
of parts, until finally the identity can not be recognized without
extensive comparison in the taxonomic series and study of embryonic
conditions. In crabs--which is a higher form than cray-fish--the tail
or abdomen seems to be wanting, but is only very small and bent under
the body and thus concealed. In all essential respects the structure is
precisely like the cray-fish. In fact, in the embryo, we trace the one
form into the other; for the crab is at first a long-tailed crustacean
(Fig. 34).
[Illustration: FIG. 34.--Development of Carcinus mœnas. A, zoæa stage;
B, megalopa stage; C, final state (after Couch).]
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