a ste role pis

[Gr. ἀστήρ ( aster ) = a star, and λεπίς ( lep is ) = a scale, fro in λέπω ( lepō ) =to strip off a rind, to peel.] A genus of ganoid fishes named on account of the star-like mavking of what were at first supposed to be scales, but which were afterwards found to be the dermal plates of the head. A bone of a species belonging to this genus, found at Stromne , the capital of Orkney, suggested to Hugh Miller the writing of his beautiful volume entitled Footprints of the Creator; or, the A ste role pis of Stromne . It was an elaborate argument against the development hypothesis. According to that hypothesis, the first species of any cla appearing on the scene should be low in organisation, and probably small in size. Mr. Miller showed that the A ste role pis was large in size and high in organisation, and yet it was at that time believed to be the oldest fo il vertebrate found in Scotland. His argument was subsequently weakened by the discovery that the Stromne rocks were le ancient than the For far shire beds, containing Cephalaspis and other fish genera subsequently discovered, mostly of small size, though not of low organisation.