XIII. Contributions to the fossil flora of North Greenland, being a description of the plants collected by Mr. Edward Whymper during the summer of 1867

• Published in: Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: The Royal Society 1869
• Subjects: Arctic; Greenland; North Greenland
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rstl.1869.0016; https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/pdf/10.1098/rstl.1869.0016

I. The greater part of the fossil plants which have been brought from Arctic regions have come from North Greenland. Atanekerdluk (lat. 70° N.) is the principal locality, and there the remains of vegetable organisms are found in such profusion, that we are able, to some extent, to restore the ancient flora of North Greenland, and deduce most im­portant conclusions as to the former physiognomy and the climate of this high northern region. The fossil plants which were brought home by M‘Clintock, Inglefield, and Colomb, and deposited in Dublin and London, were found at this locality, as well as the very rich collection made by Mr. Olrik, formerly Inspector of North Greenland, which is now to be found at Copenhagen. These materials, on examination, were found to contain 105 species of plants. Of some, the leaves, fruits, and seeds were ob­served, so that an absolute determination of their species was rendered possible; while of others merely the leaves, and of these at times only fragments, were discoverable. Of these latter accordingly the identification cannot be considered as final. It became therefore a matter of great importance to procure additional specimens from this loca­lity, so as to increase our knowledge of the Arctic Fossil Flora, and also to ascertain whether similar fossils were of universal occurrence in the various lignite deposits of North Greenland. It was hoped, too, that remains of Mammalia might be found in the coal. The interest attached to these questions induced Mr. Robert H. Scott to propose the plan of an Expedition to North Greenland, to be carried out by means of funds furnished by the British Association. That body at the Nottingham Meeting voted a sum of money for the purpose, which was subsequently most liberally augmented by the Govern­ment-Grant Committee of the Royal Society. Circumstances rendered it impossible for Mr. Scott to carry out his idea of visiting Greenland himself, and Mr. Edward Whymper, who had previously made arrangements for travelling in North Greenland, ...