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A first book in organic evolution

Name: A first book in organic evolution
Author: D. Kerfoot Shute

by D. Kerfoot Shute

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Language: en1,227 downloads on Project Gutenberg

Subjects

Evolution

In: Science - Biology

Public-domain ebook sourced from Project Gutenberg #73834.

About this book

This work is a systematic primer on the doctrine of evolution, written in 1899 by D. Kerfoot Shute. It opens with a declaration that the theory of evolution has become indispensable to scholars across anthropology, zoology, botany and even the clergy, and that the author intends merely to assemble existing facts and quotations into a clear presentation rather than to argue for the theory’s truth. The book is organized into ten sections, beginning with a detailed examination of organic cells, the “visible units of life”, and proceeding through heredity, geological eras, natural selection, and the evolution of man, before concluding with an extensive classification of animals and plants. The introductory passage frames the whole enterprise as a “family‑tree” of living and extinct forms, emphasizing cells, heredity, variation, environment, natural selection and isolation as the core concepts.

The style is that of a late‑Victorian scientific textbook: formal, densely packed with terminology, and illustrated by numerous diagrams and plates drawn from contemporary research. Its tone is didactic, assuming a readership that is already modestly educated and eager for a structured overview of evolutionary science as it was understood at the turn of the century. Readers who appreciate historical perspectives on biology, enjoy thorough taxonomic listings, or seek a window into the pedagogical approach of the 1890s will find this volume rewarding, while those looking for narrative or modern synthesis may prefer more recent works.

The opening · free to read

An overwhelming majority of Anthropologists, Zoölogists, and Botanists, and a goodly number—constantly increasing—of Christian clergymen and laymen, have been almost compelled to believe in the truth of the Evolution Theory, whether they would or not, and they cannot but realize how very widely the theory extends into almost every department of human knowledge. No one, therefore, who aspires even to a moderate degree of intellectual culture, can well afford to exclude a clear understanding of what this Doctrine of Evolution really is. It is hoped this little work will render such a conception easily attainable.

The author makes no claim for originality, unless it be in the manner of presenting the subject. He has utilized the facts collated by other observers, and sometimes quoted the exact language and expressions of well-known writers on Evolution, and has endeavored to put them together in a way that may be helpful to those who are beginning the study of the Evolution Theory.

No attempt has been made to prove the truth of the theory: this is assumed. The arguments in support of it are coextensive with our knowledge of Comparative Anatomy, Embryology, Physiology, Psychology, and many other sciences.

In the preparation of the book the author is especially indebted to his friend Prof. Theodore Gill, the eminent ichthyologist, for many valuable suggestions, and more particularly for his aid in constructing the Diagram of Development. He also desires to thank his friend Dr. A. F. A. King for his kindly assistance in preparing the manuscript for the press; and also his friend Dr. L. O. Howard, Chief of the U. S. Bureau of Entomology, for much valuable information and assistance.

D. K. SHUTE.