Covered Quote by Georges Cuvier
“Thus it cannot be denied that the masses which today form our highest mountains were originally in a liquid state; for a long time they were covered by waters which did not sustain any life.”
About This Quote
Source Book: Le Règne Animal, 1817
The quote suggests that great mountains were once submerged, implying that massive geological features originate from ancient seas.
In simple terms: Mountains were once under water.
Key Takeaway
Recognize that present forms emerge from past conditions.
Themes
geology
history
formation
Mood
reflective
inquisitive
Type
scientific
educational
When to use this quote
- mountain formation
- earth science education
- geological fieldwork
- environmental policy
- climate change studies
Key Concepts
plate tectonics
erosion
sedimentation
Questions to Reflect On
- How do ancient marine environments influence current landscapes?
- What evidence supports the transition from sea to mountain?
A Different Perspective
The process of mountain building is complex and involves many factors beyond ancient seas.
![“Mountains have been formed by one [or other] of the causes of the formation of stone, most probably from agglutinative clay which slowly dried and petrified during ages of which we have no record. It seems likely that this habitable world was in former days uninhabitable and, indeed, submerged…” quote by Avicenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/4ce/avicenna-19211_age_mountains-have-been-formed-by-one-or-oth_1402208.jpg)
![“It is to them [fossils] alone that we owe the commencement of even a Theory of the Earth ... By them we are enabled to ascertain, with the utmost certainty, that our earth has not always been covered over by the same external crust, because we are thoroughly assured that the organized bodies to…” quote by Georges Cuvier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/ec4/georges-cuvier-21747_assured_it-is-to-them-fossils-alone-that-we-owe_967083.jpg)
![“The works which this man [Joseph Banks] leaves behind him occupy a few pages only; their importance is not greatly superior to their extent; and yet his name will shine out with lustre in the history of the sciences.” quote by Georges Cuvier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/6de/georges-cuvier-21747_accounts_the-works-which-this-man-joseph-banks-le_1010690.jpg)
![“By profession a biologist, [Thomas Henry Huxley] covered in fact the whole field of the exact sciences, and then bulged through its four fences. Absolutely nothing was uninteresting to him. His curiosity ranged from music to theology and from philosophy to history. He didn't simply know something…” quote by H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/f46/h-l-mencken-245_absolutely-nothing_by-profession-a-biologist-thomas-henry-h_5368.jpg)
