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Scene of the Geological Discoveries at Swanage, Dorset - from a photograph by F. Briggs, 1857. Creator: Richard Principal Leitch
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Scene of the Geological Discoveries at Swanage, Dorset - from a photograph by F. Briggs, 1857. Creator: Richard Principal Leitch
Scene of the Geological Discoveries at Swanage, Dorset - from a photograph by F. Briggs, 1857. The excavations...are interesting as the scene of important geological discoveries [including] the jaws of at least fourteen different species of mammalia...It was supposed till very lately that few if any mammalia were to be found below the tertiary rock; and this supposed fact was very comfortable to those who support the doctrine of "progressive development"...that a fish by mere length of time became a reptile, a lemur, an ape, and finally an ape, a man. But...A very ancient bed of the secondary rocks is found, full of [perfect] mammalia...and Mr. Beckles's discoveries give fresh strength to the theory of our best scientific men that not merely species, but whole orders, were created from time to time by some absolute act of the Almighty mind...Thus are the conclusions of sound science shown more and more to coincide with those of sound religion'. From "Illustrated London News", 1857
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EDITORS COMMENTS
This photograph, titled "Scene of the Geological Discoveries at Swanage, Dorset - from a photograph by F. Briggs, 1857," offers a glimpse into a significant moment in the history of geology and scientific discovery. The image depicts an excavation site in Swanage, Dorset, where important geological findings were unearthed, challenging long-held beliefs about the evolution of species. At the time, it was widely believed that few, if any, mammals existed below the Tertiary rock. This theory was comforting to those advocating the doctrine of "progressive development," which posited that a fish could transform into a reptile, a lemur, an ape, and eventually a man, through the passage of time. However, the discovery of a very ancient bed of secondary rocks filled with well-preserved mammalian fossils, led by the renowned geologist Henry Thomas De la Beche and his assistant Benjamin Waterhouse Hawkins, shattered these assumptions. As reported in the "Illustrated London News" in 1857, these discoveries, made by Mr. Beckles, provided new evidence that not only species but entire orders were created by the Almighty's absolute act. This theory, which aligned with religious beliefs, further solidified the connection between scientific inquiry and faith. The scene in this photograph thus represents a pivotal moment in the understanding of Earth's history and the interplay between scientific and religious perspectives.
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