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Encyclopedia Britannica - Main :: ORC-PAI |
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ORDER 3 . NUDA OR BATRACII. In this classification we notice three points, which indicate a decided progress towards a natural system
Brongniart are no more considered co-subordinate in the class, but the Saurians and Ophidians are associated as sections of the same order, a view held by Aristotle
snakes
reptiles have now been entirely divested of all heterogeneous elements by relegating positively Caecilia to the Batrachians, a view for which Oppel had been fully prepared by Dumeril, who pointed out in 1807 that " les cecilies se rapprochent considerablement des batraciens auxquels elles semblent her l'ordre entier des serpens." 4 (3) An attempt is made atarranging the genera into families, some of which are still retained at the present day. In thus giving a well-merited prominence to Oppel's labours we are far from wishing to detract from the influence exercised by the master spirit of this period, Cuvier. Without his guidance Oppel probably never would have found a place among the promoters of herpetological science. But Cuvier's principal
reptiles were incidental or formed part of some more general plan; Oppel concentrated his on this class only. Cuvier adopts the four orders of reptiles proposed. by Brongniart as equivalent elements of the class, and restores the blind-worms and allied lizards and, what is worse, also the Caecilias, to the Ophidians. The chameleons and geckos are placed in separate
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work
Cuvier's researches into the osteology of reptiles had also the object of discovering the means of understanding the fossil remains which now claimed the attention of French, English and German naturalists. Extinct
4 Memoires de zoologie et d'anatomie comparee (Paris, 1807, 8vo);, P. 45. remains, Pterodactylus, Mosasaurus, Iguanodon, Ichthyosaurus, Teleosaurus, became the subjects of Cuvier's classical treatises
All the succeeding herpetologists adopted either Oppel's or Cuvier's view as to the number of orders of reptiles, or as to stain- the position Batrachians ought to take in their relation vine. to reptiles proper, with the single exception of D. DE End of Article: ORDER 3 If you wish, you can link directly to this article.
<a href="http://jcsm.org/StudyCenter/Encyclopedia/ORC_PAI/ORDER_3.html"> ORDER 3 </a> |
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