| ↑ 1 blocks not present in 1859 1861 1869 1872; present in 1860 1866 |
| In a
more general sense the more recent forms must, on my theory, be higher than the more ancient; for each
new species is formed by having had some advantage
in the struggle for life over other and preceding forms.
|
|
| → If 1859 1860 1861 |
| We may therefore conclude that if 1866 |
|
| → one quarter of 1859 1860 1861 |
| OMIT 1866 |
|
| → same or some other quarter, the eocene fauna or flora would certainly 1859 1860 1861 |
| former would 1866 |
|
|
more recent forms must, on my theory, be higher than the more ancient; for each new species is formed by having had some advantage in the struggle for life over other and preceding forms. ↑ →If
under a nearly similar
the eocene inhabitants of
→one quarter of
the world
put into competition with
existing
the
→same or some other quarter, the eocene fauna or flora would certainly
be beaten and
as would a secondary fauna by an eocene, and a palæozoic fauna by a secondary fauna.
I do not doubt that this process of improvement has affected in a marked and sensible manner the organisation of the more recent and victorious forms of life, in comparison with the ancient and beaten forms; but I can see no way of testing this sort of progress. Crustaceans, for instance, not the highest in their own class, may have beaten the highest molluscs. From the extraordinary manner in which European productions have recently spread over New Zealand, and have seized on places which must have been previously occupied, we may believe, if all the animals and plants of Great Britain were set free in New Zealand, that in the course of time a multitude of British forms would become thoroughly naturalized there, and would exterminate many of the natives. On the other hand, from what we see now occurring in New Zealand, and from hardly a single inhabitant of the southern hemisphere having become wild in any part of Europe, we may doubt, if all the productions of New Zealand were set free in Great Britain, whether any considerable number would be enabled to seize on places now occupied by our native plants and animals. Under this point of view, the productions of Great Britain may be said to be higher than those of New Zealand. Yet the most skilful naturalist from an examination of the
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