There
is grandeur in this view of life, with its several powers, having
been originally breathed into a few forms or into one; and that,
whilst this planet has gone cycling on according to the fixed
law of gravity, from so simple a beginning endless forms most
beautiful and most wonderful have been, and are being evolved.
- Charles
Darwin's last words in "Origin of Species by means of natural
selection" - circa 1859
Over
the past 3 1/2 billion years of geologic time since life appeared
on earth, some 4 trillion species of organisms may have existed,
most microscopic. Descent with modification, or evolution,
resulted
in many forms most wonderful and beautiful, as Darwin stated.
Some of these faded away, like the extinct trilobites, others
merely diminished, like the still extant crinoids, and still
many
others perished in one of many major extinctions. A magnificent
fossil record has been left behind to inspire wonder. From
stromatolites
created by ancient bacteria, to ammonites, fossil fish, fossil
insects, crinoids, fossil mammals and dinosaurs, Ichnofossils
of mysterious creatures and fossil amber, the fossil dealers
at
fossilmall.com strive to match the amazing diversity of this "life
once animated". Many of the fossils for sale are rare or
exotic fossils worthy of display in any museum.