Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1920-01-19
NO CHANGE IN .sEAWEEDs
DISCOVER FOSSIL REMAINS
100000 YEARS OF AGE
of Smithsonian Institute
Studies Ancient Sea Plants
Uncathed In ItOckIcs.

! WASHINGTON. Jan. 1S.--That many
OF the algae or scaweeds OF the Mid
Idle Cambrian epoch of geologic time.
some twenty-five or thirty millions Of
| years ago. closely resemble the alsac
growing in the sea at the prescn; time.
! is the statement made by Charles D.
IWalcott. secretary Of the Smithsonian
Institution. In describing. In a recent
publication OF that institution, fossil
Ircmains of these ancient sea plants dis
covered by him In the Middle Cambriau
rocks OF the Canadian Rocky Noun
tains. This Is the first authentic proof
that inns FORM OF plant lie existed In
mac far distant past, although many
have been brought TO light i'm the form
(of FOSSILS. The presence or these f,s-
81 niSae was known TO DR.. Walcott
ior several years, but ne de iaycd study
was available
The fossils were found by DR., Wal
burgess Pass. British Columbia, where
.ncy were quarried out. some of them
we're later cut into thin sections for
Hac, several OF THESE sea pants shown
IN me pimphi-: n-ove to be almost
iHfnt:cai in torn Win the prcsen, d.;
aeaweeds, some Of which are also illus
trated FOR comparison.
~ course, IN the remote time when
these plants were deposited on the
muddy sea bottom. the rock formations
.hat are now thousands Of foct above
sca level m the Rocky Mountains
i ioEdneu INC shore line of a Middle Cam
REGARDING the conditions under which
-, me hiSae were deposited. Dr. Walcot,
ihe compact, smooth, fine grained
sliceous burgess shale was deposited
in'iI retatiyely quiet muddy water y,
Intervals TINS condition must have been
continuous for some time. as LAYERS
o. shale several inches in thickness
nSe 'ne crustaCsans distributed irregu-
,ariy through them. 1t is evident that
the aisac. sponge anne!ids, crustaccans
&c. now found In the shalc lived in
swarming with life and readily acccssi-
bile 10 the waters OF tho open sea. In
INC preliminary study OF the fauna
of shale not over fifteen by 100 feet in
;rea aud seven feet IN thickness
several new genera and nineteen new
species were determined and are de-
scribcd In the Smithsonian publication.
The fossil remains from which these
as shiny black films on the surEac. OF
tho hard. dark siiiccous shale. Tho
has been replaced by shiny black Sill
ccous hlm containing Iron pyrIte in
varying proportions. II IL evident that
the original organic and Inorganic mat
der was removed by solution and re-
placed by the black MIN. the convea.ty
and relief OF the plant being lost in
the process and by subsequent compress
sion. OF course, thia leaves in the
fossil species only the pressed and dat-
tened remains or the original plant but
they may be compared with dried herb
ariun specimens OF aigae OF the pres
cnt day and many points OF close re-
scnblancc are plainly seen.
THIS pamphlet on the fossil alGac is
&. continuation q tho series on Cam.
brian geology and palcontology pub
lishcd by the Smithsonian Inst tuition.
in which DR. Walcott has described ana
illustrated tho invcrtebrlto fauna OF
this and other Ciunhrian rock foTma