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slohpersistenturage;wehavebeenpushing
thisquestionrkfurtherandfurthertohatdistant
line;beyondthehorizon;ofindouranswer
goneveryfar
illknotlebuthepoint
any
things
inthischapterishalltellyouhooourbest
beliefthestagean
ifeduringhasbeenpossiblefor
anillifetoexistuponourplabyalineofthislength;
thenthetinylinejustbeloestheageduringh
norablingnhaslived
uponthisearth
nebutthefirsttousehisbrainfor
thepurposeofnqueringtheforcesofnaturethatisthe
reason;ratherthancatsor
dogsorhorsesoranyoftheotheranils;heir
oentbehind
the
inthebeginning;theplauponhwelivewasasfar
asingtter;atinycloudof
skeintheendlessoceanofspacegradually;intheurse
ofllionsofyears;thesurfacebueditselfout;andovered
hathinlayerofrocksupontheselifelessrocksthe
raindescendedinendlesstorrents;thehard
graniteandcarryingthedusttothevalleysthatlayhiddenbetween
thehighingearth
finallythehourcahesunbrokethroughthe
cloudsandsahislittleplahafew
sllpuddlesightyoceansof
theeasteandispheres
thenonedaythegreathadbeen
dead;gavebirthtolife
thefirstlivingcellfloatedupontheersofthesea
forllionsofyearsitdriftedaiesslyhthecurrents
butduringallthattiitainhabitsthat
itghtsurvivereeasilyupontheinhospitableearthso
ofthesecellsinthedarkdepthsofthelakesand
thepoolstheytookrootintheslisedintshhad
beene
plantsotherspreferredtoveaboutandtheygrew
strangejointedlegs;likesrpionsandbegantocrawlalong
thebottoftheseaadsttheplantsandthepalegreenthings
thatlookedlikejellyfishesstillothersveredhscales
dependeduponasngtiontogofrolacetoplace
intheirsearchforfood;andgraduallytheypopulatedtheocean
yriadsoffishes
anberandtheyhad
tosear
forthetthebottoftheseareluctantlytheyleftthe
adeaneeinthershesandonthed
banksthatlayatthefootoftheuntainsthe
tidesoftheoceanveredthetheirbrinefortherest
oftheti;theplantsdethebestoftheirunfortable
situationandtriedtosurviveinthethinairhsurrounded
thesurfaceoftheplaaftercenturiesoftraining;they
leaedhofortablyintheairastheyhaddonein
theeshrubsandtrees
andatlasttheyleaedhoogrowlovelyflower
………………………………
第4节
sh
attrablebeesandthe
birdsheseedsfarandiltheh
hadbeeveredhgreenpastures;orlaydarkunderthe
shadoeofthefishestoo
hadbeguntoleavethesea;andtheyhadleaedhoobreathe
phibious;
eansthattheyareabletolivehequaleaseontheland
andintheerthefirstfroghcantellyou
allaboutthepleasuresofthedoubleexistenphibian
onceoutsideofthealsgraduallyadapted
theelvesreandretolifeonlandsobecareptiles
creaturesheysharedthe
silenove
fasterthroughthesoftsoil;theyirovedupontheirlegs
andtheirsizeincreaseduntiltheedh
gigantishehandbooksofbiologylistunder
thenasofiegalosaurusandbrontosaurus
obethirtytofortyfeetlongandouldhave
playedhelephantsasafullgroplayshherkittens
sooftheersofthisreptilianfalybegantolivein
thetopsofthetrees;orethanahundred
feethightheynolongeeededtheirlegsforthepurpose
oftovequicklyfrobr 》
branchtobranchandsotheychangedapartoftheirskin
intoasortofparachute;retchedbethesidesof
theirbodiesandtheslltoesoftheirforefeet;andgradually
theyveredthisskinnyparachuteade
theirtailsintoasteeringgearandfletreetotreeand
developedintotruebirds
thenastrangethinghappenedallthegiganticreptiles
diedeknohereasonperhaps
itateperhapsthey
hadgronorwalknor
craheystarvedtodeathhinsightbutnothin
reachofthebigfesandtreeseverthecause;the
llionyearoldpireofthebigreptileswasover
theobeoccupiedbyverydifferent
creaturestheyhedescendantsofthereptilesbutthey
the
‘‘aeorthebreastsofthetherode
sciencecallstheseanils‘‘alstheyhadshedthe
scalesofthefishtheydidnotadoptthefeathersofthebird;
buttheyveredtheirbodiesaalshowever
developedotherhabitsheirraceagreatadvantage
overtheotheranilsthefeleofthespecies
carriedtheeggsoftheyounginsideherbodyuntiltheywere
hatchedande;had
lefttheirchildrenexposedtothedangersofldandheat;
andtheattalskepttheiryoung
foralongtiandshelteredtheeywere
stilltooiesinthisheyoung
alsuchbetterchancetosurvive;because
theyleaednythingsfroheirthers;asyouwillknow
ifyouhaveeverchedacatteachingherkittenstotake
selvesandhooheirfacesandhoo
catchce
butofthesealsineednottellyouchforyou
knoheysurroundyouonallsidestheyare
yourdailypanionsinthestreetsandinyourho;andyou
iliarusinsbehindthebarsofthezoological
garden
andnoetothepartingofthean
suddenlyleavestheendlessproblylivingand
dyingcreaturesandbeginstousehisreasontoshapethe
destinyofhisrace
onealinparticularseedtosurpassallothersin
itsabilitytofindfoodandshelterithadleaedtouseits
forefeetforthepurposeofholdingitsprey;andbydintof
practiceithaddevelopedahandlikeclaerable
attetsithadleaedhoobalancethehe
bodyuponthehindlegsthisisadifficultact;hevery
childhastoleaaneanracehasbeen
doingitforoverallionyears
thiscreature;halfapeandhalfnkeybutsuperiorto
both;beakea
livingineveryoved
aboutingroupsitleaedhoakestrangegruntsto
anyhundreds
ofthousandsofyearsitbegantousethesethroatynoises
forthepurposeoftalking
thisayhardlybelieveit;wasyour
first‘‘nlikeancestor
ourearliestancestors
weknoenwehave
neverseentheirpicturesinthedeepestlayerofclayofan
anesfoundpiecesoftheirbones
theselayburiedadstthebrokenskeletonsofotheranils
thathavelongsincedisappearedfrohefaceoftheearth
anthropologistsleaedscientistsetheirlivesto
thestudyofnasaeroftheanilkingdoave
takenthesebonesandtheyhavebeenabletorenstructour
earliestancestorshafairdegreeofaccuracy
thegre