floating-life

Updated: June 22, 2025

The first appearance of the crust must soon have been succeeded by the formation of the seas, and a long time does not seem to have been required to cool the seas to such a degree that life became possible. It is very probable that life originally commenced in the great seas, and that the forms which are now usually included in the plankton or floating-life included the very first living beings.

Hugo de Vries - Species and Varieties, Their Origin by Mutation