---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: ...It is a very remarkable fact that the…"
description: "\"...It is a very remarkable fact that the species of shell-fish common to Greenland and Finmark are not all inhabitants of deep or moderately deep water..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/66c/edward-forbes-31709_ancient_it-is-a-very-remarkable-fact-that-the-sp_1118068.png"
---

#  ...It is a very remarkable fact that the species of…

![“...It is a very remarkable fact that the species of shell-fish common to Greenland and Finmark are not all inhabitants of deep or moderately deep water … That these littoral mollusks indicate by their presence on both sides of the Atlantic, some ancient continuity or contiguity of coast-line is…” quote by Edward Forbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/66c/edward-forbes-31709_ancient_it-is-a-very-remarkable-fact-that-the-sp_1118068.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/66c/edward-forbes-31709_ancient_it-is-a-very-remarkable-fact-that-the-sp_1118068.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/66c/edward-forbes-31709_ancient_it-is-a-very-remarkable-fact-that-the-sp_1118068.png)

> “...It is a very remarkable fact that the species of shell-fish common to Greenland and Finmark are not all inhabitants of deep or moderately deep water … That these littoral mollusks indicate by their presence on both sides of the Atlantic, some ancient continuity or contiguity of coast-line is what I firmly believe.”

[Edward Forbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-forbes/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Shell‑fish species found on both sides of the Atlantic indicate ancient coastal connections, suggesting past land bridges or similar habitats.

**In simple terms:** Mollusks show ancient Atlantic continuity.

Key Takeaway

Consider geological history when studying species distribution.

Themes

science geology biogeography

Mood

analytical curious

Type

scientific educational

When to use this quote

- marine biology
- climate change studies
- educational curricula

Key Concepts

paleogeography species dispersal

Questions to Reflect On

- How do modern genetic studies support or refute this idea?
- What other evidence shows ancient coastlines?

A Different Perspective

Fossil records may contradict this continuity hypothesis.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Ancient](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ancient/) [Believe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe/) [Both sides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/both-sides/) [Coast](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/coast/) [Common](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/common/) [Common Greenland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/common-greenland-3011292/) [Continuity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/continuity/) [Deep water](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deep-water/) [Exploration](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exploration/) [Facts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/facts/) [Fishes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fishes/) [Greenland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greenland/) [Greenland Finmark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greenland-finmark-3011289/) [Lines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lines/) [Littoral Mollusks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/littoral-mollusks-3011291/) [Mollusks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mollusks/) [Mollusks Indicate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mollusks-indicate-3011290/) [Ocean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ocean/) [Ocean exploration](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ocean-exploration/) [Remarkable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/remarkable/) [Shells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shells/) [Sides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sides/) [Species](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/species/) [Water](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/water/)

## Related quotes

> [Moreover it is becoming the Britons, whether scientific or unscientific, who boast at all fitting occasions of their aptitude to rule the waves, should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-forbes/moreover-it-is-becoming-the-britons-whether-scientific-or/)

[Edward Forbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-forbes/)

> [Palaeontological research exhibits, beyond question, the phenomenon of provinces in time, as well as provinces in space. Moreover, all our knowledge of organic remains…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-forbes/palaeontological-research-exhibits-beyond-question-the-phenomenon-of/)

[Edward Forbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-forbes/)

> [Science was false by being unpoetical. It assumed to explain a reptile or a mollusk, and isolated it-which is hunting for life in graveyards.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/science-was-false-by-being-unpoetical-it-assumed-to-explain-a-reptile/)

[Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/)

> [“As I glided further into the dusty mollusk volumes, I discovered that gastropods - which account for 80 percent of all mollusks - are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elisabeth-tova-bailey/as-i-glided-further-into-the-dusty-mollusk-volumes-i-discovered-that/)

[Elisabeth Tova Bailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elisabeth-tova-bailey/)

> [The Mollusks—generous hosts when they weren’t trying to kill you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/the-mollusks-generous-hosts-when-they-weren-t-trying-to-kill-you/)

[Dave Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-barry/)

> [I've always been so interested in both the visual beauty of mollusks and the tactile feel of them. As a kid, I collected them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-doerr/i-ve-always-been-so-interested-in-both-the-visual-beauty-of-mollusks/)

[Anthony Doerr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-doerr/)

> [To play the piano is to consort with nature. Every mollusk, galaxy, vapor or viper as well the sweet incense of love's distraction, is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-sherman/to-play-the-piano-is-to-consort-with-nature-every-mollusk-galaxy/)

[Russell Sherman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-sherman/)

> [I'm interested in other animals too though. There's the slug in "Mollusks", and I wrote a story about bees and one about a cat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-bradford/i-m-interested-in-other-animals-too-though-there-s-the-slug-in/)

[Arthur Bradford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-bradford/)

> [We are part of nature, a product of a long evolutionary journey. To some degree, we carry the ancient oceans in our blood. ……](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/murray-bookchin/we-are-part-of-nature-a-product-of-a-long-evolutionary-journey-to/)

[Murray Bookchin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/murray-bookchin/)

> [Instead of learned young people we have donkeys with University degrees. Instead of future leaders we have mollusks with expensive blue jeans and phony…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oriana-fallaci/instead-of-learned-young-people-we-have-donkeys-with-university/)

[Oriana Fallaci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oriana-fallaci/)

> [If we had better hearing, and could discern the descants of sea birds, the rhythmic tympani of schools of mollusks, or even the distant…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-thomas/if-we-had-better-hearing-and-could-discern-the-descants-of-sea-birds/)

[Lewis Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-thomas/)

> [The solitary and thoughtful stroller finds a singular intoxication in this universal communion. The man who loves to lose himself in a crowd enjoys…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-baudelaire/the-solitary-and-thoughtful-stroller-finds-a-singular-intoxication-in/)

[Charles Baudelaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-baudelaire/)

> [What a dull universe it would be if everything in it conformed to our expectations, if it held nothing to surprise or baffle us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/what-a-dull-universe-it-would-be-if-everything-in-it-conformed-to-our/)

[Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/)

> [Nile perch are enormous but lethargic fish, easy to catch once they have taken your bait. Some are bright golden yellow, some grey pink…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kuki-gallmann/nile-perch-are-enormous-but-lethargic-fish-easy-to-catch-once-they/)

[Kuki Gallmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kuki-gallmann/)

> [The boys had asked why, if it acted slowly, was it called quicksand. The Mollusks had replied that, as far as they were concerned,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ridley-pearson/the-boys-had-asked-why-if-it-acted-slowly-was-it-called-quicksand-the/)

[Ridley Pearson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ridley-pearson/)

## More by Edward Forbes

> [Palaeontological research exhibits, beyond question, the phenomenon of provinces in time, as well as provinces in space. Moreover, all our knowledge of organic remains…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-forbes/palaeontological-research-exhibits-beyond-question-the-phenomenon-of/)

[Edward Forbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-forbes/)

> [ \[Geology\] may be looked upon as the history of the earth's changes during preparation for the reception of organized beings, a history, which has… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-forbes/geology-may-be-looked-upon-as-the-history-of-the-earth-s-changes/)

[Edward Forbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-forbes/)

> [The corals do not look much worn, but still appear to have been dead. There are some delicate shells of molluscs from depths beyond…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-forbes/the-corals-do-not-look-much-worn-but-still-appear-to-have-been-dead/)

[Edward Forbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-forbes/)

> [As we descend deeper and deeper in this region its inhabitants become more and more modified, and fewer and fewer, indicating our approach towards…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-forbes/as-we-descend-deeper-and-deeper-in-this-region-its-inhabitants-become/)

[Edward Forbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-forbes/)

> [The naturalists of our own time hold equal faith in the wonders of the sea, but seek therein rather for the links of nature's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-forbes/the-naturalists-of-our-own-time-hold-equal-faith-in-the-wonders-of/)

[Edward Forbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-forbes/)

> [Palaeontological research exhibits, beyond question, the phenomenon of provinces in time, as well as provinces in space.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-forbes/palaeontological-research-exhibits-beyond-question-the-phenomenon-of-2/)

[Edward Forbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-forbes/)

> [The naturalists of yore esteemed the ocean to be a treasury of wonders, and sought therein for monstrosities and organisms contrary to the law…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-forbes/the-naturalists-of-yore-esteemed-the-ocean-to-be-a-treasury-of/)

[Edward Forbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-forbes/)

> [In truth, ideas and principles are independent of men; the application of them and their illustration is man's duty and merit. The time will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-forbes/in-truth-ideas-and-principles-are-independent-of-men-the-application/)

[Edward Forbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-forbes/)

> [Moreover, all our knowledge of organic remains teaches us, that species have a definite existence, and a centralization in geological time as well as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-forbes/moreover-all-our-knowledge-of-organic-remains-teaches-us-that-species/)

[Edward Forbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-forbes/)

> [Zero of Animal Life probably about 300 fathoms.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-forbes/zero-of-animal-life-probably-about-300-fathoms/)

[Edward Forbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-forbes/)

> [As to giving credit to whom credit is due, rest assured the best way to do good to one's-self is to do justice to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-forbes/as-to-giving-credit-to-whom-credit-is-due-rest-assured-the-best-way/)

[Edward Forbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-forbes/)

> [Moreover it is becoming the Britons, whether scientific or unscientific, who boast at all fitting occasions of their aptitude to rule the waves, should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-forbes/moreover-it-is-becoming-the-britons-whether-scientific-or/)

[Edward Forbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-forbes/)

> [I have in hands, now, specimens of bottom from t he Gulf Stream, obtained by Lieutenant Craven, and I can say that they are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-forbes/i-have-in-hands-now-specimens-of-bottom-from-t-he-gulf-stream/)

[Edward Forbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-forbes/)

> [People without independence have no business to meddle with science. It should never be linked with lucre.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-forbes/people-without-independence-have-no-business-to-meddle-with-science/)

[Edward Forbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-forbes/)

> [“Who that has ever visited the borders of this classic sea, has not felt at the first sight of its waters a glow of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-forbes/who-that-has-ever-visited-the-borders-of-this-classic-sea-has-not/)

[Edward Forbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-forbes/)

[Explore all 16 Edward Forbes quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-forbes/)

## More Ancient quotes

> [“We ought to know the history of our ancient ancestors.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/we-ought-to-know-the-history-of-our-ancient-ancestors/)

[Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/)

> [In ancient times, those who wished to illuminate the world with virtue first brought order to their nations. Wishing to order well their nations,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/in-ancient-times-those-who-wished-to-illuminate-the-world-with-virtue/)

[Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/)

> [Ancient eyes had stared at me, filled with ancient grief. And something more. Something so alien and unexpected that I'd almost burst into tears.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-marie-moning/ancient-eyes-had-stared-at-me-filled-with-ancient-grief-and-something/)

[Karen Marie Moning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-marie-moning/)

> [“Whenever I think about ancient cultures nostalgia seizes me. Perhaps this is nothing but envy of the sweet slowness of the history of that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/whenever-i-think-about-ancient-cultures-nostalgia-seizes-me-perhaps/)

[Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/)

> [I don't know if I've come of age, but I'm certainly older now. I feel shrunken, as if there's a tiny ancient Oliver Tate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-dunthorne/i-don-t-know-if-i-ve-come-of-age-but-i-m-certainly-older-now-i-feel/)

[Joe Dunthorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-dunthorne/)

> [Tentatively I stood a great lump of wood on the chopping block and bought the axe down on it. It flew into two perfect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-garner/tentatively-i-stood-a-great-lump-of-wood-on-the-chopping-block-and/)

[Helen Garner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-garner/)

> [Men must speak English who can write Sanskrit; they must speak a modern language who write, perchance, an ancient and universal one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/men-must-speak-english-who-can-write-sanskrit-they-must-speak-a/)

[Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/)

> [The Tao is the center of the universe, the good man's treasure, the bad man's refuge. Honors can be bought with fine words, respect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laozi/the-tao-is-the-center-of-the-universe-the-good-man-s-treasure-the-bad/)

[Laozi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laozi/)

> [So too, monks, I saw the ancient path, the ancient road traveled by the Perfectly Enlightened Ones of the past. And what is that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gautama-buddha/so-too-monks-i-saw-the-ancient-path-the-ancient-road-traveled-by-the/)

[Gautama Buddha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gautama-buddha/)

> [Ancient societies had anthropomorphic gods: a huge pantheon expanding into centuries of dynastic drama; fathers and sons, martyred heroes, star-crossed lovers, the deaths of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-hiddleston/ancient-societies-had-anthropomorphic-gods-a-huge-pantheon-expanding/)

[Tom Hiddleston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hiddleston/)

> [My life shall be free and broad and great, and I will not be the slave to the sense delights which chained my ancient…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-london/my-life-shall-be-free-and-broad-and-great-and-i-will-not-be-the-slave/)

[Jack London](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-london/)

> [Those of us with this ancient compulsion to tell stories sometimes start with a single kernel of something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-p-jones/those-of-us-with-this-ancient-compulsion-to-tell-stories-sometimes/)

[Edward P. Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-p-jones/)

> [All the stories I have told you are finally as useless as all ancient knowledge is to man and to us. Its images and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-rice/all-the-stories-i-have-told-you-are-finally-as-useless-as-all-ancient/)

[Anne Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-rice/)

> [So what if I'm ninety-three? So what if I'm ancient and cranky and my body's a wreck? If they're willing to accept me and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-gruen/so-what-if-i-m-ninety-three-so-what-if-i-m-ancient-and-cranky-and-my/)

[Sara Gruen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-gruen/)

> [Science has revealed a universe that is vast, ancient, violent, strange, and beautiful, a universe of almost infinite variety and possibility one in which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-mlodinow/science-has-revealed-a-universe-that-is-vast-ancient-violent-strange/)

[Leonard Mlodinow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-mlodinow/)

[Browse all 2,415 Ancient quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ancient/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "...It is a very remarkable fact that the species of shell-fish common to Greenland and Finmark are not all inhabitants of deep or moderately deep water … That these littoral mollusks indicate by their presence on both sides of the Atlantic, some ancient continuity or contiguity of coast-line is what I firmly believe.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Edward Forbes"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-forbes/it-is-a-very-remarkable-fact-that-the-species-of-shell-fish-common-to/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Ancient"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-forbes/it-is-a-very-remarkable-fact-that-the-species-of-shell-fish-common-to/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/66c/edward-forbes-31709_ancient_it-is-a-very-remarkable-fact-that-the-sp_1118068.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/66c/edward-forbes-31709_ancient_it-is-a-very-remarkable-fact-that-the-sp_1118068.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/66c/edward-forbes-31709_ancient_it-is-a-very-remarkable-fact-that-the-sp_1118068.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“...It is a very remarkable fact that the species of shell-fish common to Greenland and Finmark are not all…” — Edward Forbes",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Edward Forbes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-forbes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "...It is a very remarkable fact...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-forbes/it-is-a-very-remarkable-fact-that-the-species-of-shell-fish-common-to/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-forbes/it-is-a-very-remarkable-fact-that-the-species-of-shell-fish-common-to/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
