Geological Observations on South AmericaDarwin, Charles
Science
Geological Observations on South America
Darwin, Charles
Beagle Expedition (1831-1836); Geology -- South America; Mollusks, Fossil -- South America; Paleontology
Most of the bones are now in a soft and friable condition, and, like
the shells, do not emit when burnt an animal odour. The decayed state
of the bones may be partly owing to their late exposure to the air and
tidal-waves. Barnacles, Serpulae, and corallines are attached to many
of the bones, but I neglected to observe whether these might not have
grown on them since being exposed to the present tidal action (After
having packed up my specimens at Bahia Blanca, this point occurred to
me, and I noted it; but forgot it on my return, until the remains had
been cleaned and oiled: my attention has been lately called to the
subject by some remarks by M. d’Orbigny.); but I believe that some of
the barnacles must have grown on the Scelidotherium, soon after being
deposited, and before being WHOLLY covered up by the gravel. Besides
the remains in the condition here described, I found one single
fragment of bone very much rolled, and as black as jet, so as perfectly
to resemble some of the remains from Monte Hermoso.
Very many of the bones had been broken, abraded, and rolled, before
being embedded. Others, even some of those included in the coarsest
parts of the the now hard conglomerate, still retain all their minutest
prominences perfectly preserved; so that I conclude that they probably
were protected by skin, flesh, or ligaments, whilst being covered up.
In the case of the Scelidotherium, it is quite certain that the whole
skeleton was held together by its ligaments, when deposited in the
gravel in which I found it. Some cervical vertebrae and a humerus of
corresponding size lay so close together, as did some ribs and the
bones of a leg, that I thought that they must originally have belonged
to two skeletons, and not have been washed in single; but as remains
were here very numerous, I will not lay much stress on these two cases.
We have just seen that the armour of the Dasypoid quadruped was
certainly embedded together with some of the bones of the feet.
Professor Ehrenberg has examined for me specimens of the finer matter
from in contact with these mammiferous remains: he finds in them two
Polygastrica, decidedly marine forms; and six Phytolitharia, of which
one is probably marine, and the others either of fresh-water or
terrestrial origin. (“Monatsberichten der Akad. zu Berlin” April 1845.
The list consists of:—
POLYGASTRICA. Gallionella sulcata. Stauroptera aspera? fragm.
PHYTOLITHARIA. Lithasteriscus tuberculatus. Lithostylidium
Clepsammidium. Lithostylidium quadratum. Lithostylidium rude.
Lithostylidium unidentatum. Spongolithis acicularis.)
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