bodies and the like

[Anon Oby]

It is animals and plants which lived in or near water whose remains are most likely to be preserved, for one of the necessary conditions of preservation is quick burial, and it is only in the seas and rivers, and sometimes lakes, where mud and silt have been continuously deposited, that bodies and the like can be rapidly covered and preserved.

I don't really understand what 'the like' refers to. Was there something resembling the bodies mentioned in the context that I didn't notice, or was it something else?

The quote is from the past life of the earth by Errol White.

 

[emsr2d2]

"It is animals and plants which lived in or near water whose remains are most likely to be preserved, for one of the necessary conditions of preservation is quick burial, and it is only in the seas and rivers, and sometimes lakes, where mud and silt have been continuously deposited, that bodies and the like can be rapidly covered and preserved."

The quote is from Source: "The Past Life of the Earth" by Errol White.

I don't really understand what 'the like' refers to. Was there something resembling the bodies mentioned in the context that I didn't notice, or was it something else?

Note my changes above. I've put the whole post in the default font and size. The quote didn't need to be in a quote box - just use quotation marks. The source information should appear directly after the quote. Always capitalise book titles correctly.

The phrase "and the like" means "and similar things". You can read more HERE.

 

[Anon Oby]

Note my changes above. I've put the whole post in the default font and size. The quote didn't need to be in a quote box - just use quotation marks. The source information should appear directly after the quote. Always capitalise book titles correctly.

The phrase "and the like" means "and similar things". You can read more HERE.

Thanks. I'm familiar with this phrase and its general meaning. What I'm wondering about is, what is it that the phrase, "the like", is substituted for?

 

[emsr2d2]

Thanks. I'm familiar with this phrase and its general meaning. What I'm wondering about is, is what is it that the phrase no comma here "the like" no comma here is substituted for.

According to the first sentence, plants and animals are the things most likely to be preserved so I take "bodies and the like" to mean "the bodies of animals and the remains of plants [and any similar remains]".

It's not a substitute for anything as such. If I said "There are a lot of domestic animals - cats, dogs and the like here", I wouldn't say that "the like" is a substitute for a huge list of other domestic animals, named one by one. It simply helps the reader to understand that those are just two examples.

Note that your sentence starting "What I'm wondering ..." isn't a question.

 

[Tarheel]

If they're really lucky they can find an entire body of an animal. In any case, the phrase "the like" means "everything else". Maybe they can only find a mandible or a femur or whatever.