Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1893-02-18
THE USE OF PALEONTOLOGY.
Value Of a Branch of Science About
which Little Is known.


'What is the use of Paleontology2"
The question has been asked in Congress
recently by Representatives, VINO freely
freely expressed the opinion that this
branch of science was OF no value what
ever. Regarding it from this point of
view they propose to give no money to it
in the appropriation for the Geological
Survey. In order to get a word or two
on the other side of the question Wash
ington Star writer asked Major j. w.
Powell to explain what paleontology was
good for.
ITO begin with" said he. call the
elementary rocks of the world are char
acterized by certain fossils of animals
and plants which they contain. The
rocks are classified by their fossils, which
indicate the age of the formation in each
case and the age at which it was laid
down. Thus the study of the rocks is
the study of the fossils in them, and we
call that study 'paleontology BY its
aid we learn the history of this earth on
which we live-the details of its build
ing and the story of the development of
life upon it.
"Paleontology is the basis of geological
science. 1t has elevated mining from
mere guesswork to the status of exact
knowledge. All the work of the mining
engineers of the world depends upon it.
The most valuable minerals are sought
for and discovered by the study of the
rock formations, which cen only be traced
by their fossils. All the coal i'll the
United States is mined by such means.
Many beds of iron are in like manner
related to the sedimentary rocks. All
the lead of Iowa and Missouri and the
silver of Colorado are obtained from
rocks whose bearing veins and lodes are
traced by the fossils they contain. Thus
you will perceive that in great measure
the riches of the earth are derived from
and civilization depends upon paleonto-
logy.
s'Paleontology is recognized as the
basis of all the geological surveys of
Europe and Asia Next after paleon
tology in point of Importance comes the
study of the chemistry of rocks, and
after chemistry 'lithology is, the
study of the crystals of rocks-is to be
considered incidentally an interesting
and valuable contribution to science is
| afforded by studying the animals and
| plants whose remains are found preserved
In the rocks. They tell the story Of the
life history of the world. However,
that is only matter of secondary inn
portance. Let me add that every State
| geological survey thus far made, as we'll
as every geological survey executed by
the United States, has been based on
paleontology.
" A secondary end Of paleontology is
the calculation of the past history of life
upon the earth, said Professor w. j.
McGee. The application and uses of the
knowledge thus acquired are many and
varied, and yet they pertain chiefly to
pure science, which is now, as it ever
has been, the foundation for the future.
1t is the knowledge of to-day that en-
ables men not only to predict but to con
troll the events of tomorrow. The sim
pie experiments and speculations of a
Watts produced the steam locomotive
of later generation; the electrical toys
of Morse and Henry yielded the tele-
graph, the telephone and the electric
motor.
Thus far the cultivation of paleontol-
ogy as pure science has not yielded its
fullest fruit except in its application as
the basis for the classification of the rocks
of the earth; but there are not wanting
conservative students who hold that the
study of the course of life in the past viii
indicate the safest direction for future
guidance, with respect not only to do
nestle animals and plants yielding food
supplies, but even for man himself.