Origin of Species Variorum

→ itself;— of the embryo apparently having sometimes a higher 1859 1860 1861 1866

their own wants, are perfectly adapted to the surrounding conditions;— and lastly the fact of certain larvæ standing higher in the scale of 1869

their own wants, being perfectly adapted to the surrounding conditions;— and lastly the fact of certain larvæ standing higher in the scale of 1872

→ necessarily 1859 1860 1861 1866

or individual differences necessarily 1869 1872

→ head— indeed the evidence rather 1859 1860 1861 1866

head, but what we have certainly 1869 1872

→ the animal has been born, what its 1859 1860 1861 1866

birth, what the 1869

birth, what will be the 1872

→ form will ultimately turn out. 1859 1860 1861 1866

form of their young animals will turn out. 1869

demerits of their young animals. 1872

→ it is fully 1859 1860 1861 1866

the effects are 1869 1872

→ even before the embryo is formed; and the variation may be due to the male and female sexual elements having been affected by the conditions to which either parent, or their ancestors, have been exposed. 1859 1860 1861 1866

on one or both parents before reproduction. 1869

on one or both parents before the act of generation. 1872

→ For the welfare of 1859 1860 1861 1866

It deserves notice that it is of no importance to 1869 1872

→ be quite unimportant whether most 1859 1860 1861 1866

OMIT 1869 1872

to provide for →itself;— of the embryo apparently having sometimes a higher organisation than the mature

animals

animal

animal,

into which

they are

it is

developed?

developed.

I believe that all these facts can be

ex- plained,

follows.

~~the~~

~~view~~

~~descent~~

~~with~~

~~modification.~~

It is commonly assumed, perhaps from monstrosities

~~often~~

often

affecting the

embryos

embryo

at a very early period, that slight variations →necessarily appear at an equally early period.

But we

have little evidence on this →head— indeed the evidence rather points the other way; for it is notorious that breeders of cattle, horses, and various fancy animals, cannot positively tell, until some time after →the animal has been born, what its merits or →form will ultimately turn out. We see this plainly in our own children; we cannot

~~always~~

always

tell whether

the

child will be tall or short, or what its precise features will be. The question is not, at what period of life

each

any

variation

may have

has

been caused, but at what period →it is fully displayed. The cause may have acted, and I believe

often

generally

has acted, →even before the embryo is formed; and the variation may be due to the male and female sexual elements having been affected by the conditions to which either parent, or their ancestors, have been exposed. Nevertheless an effect thus caused at a very early period, even before the formation of the embryo, may appear late in life; as when an hereditary disease, which appears in old age alone, has been communicated to the offspring from the reproductive element of one parent. Or again, as when the horns of cross-bred cattle have been affected by the shape of the horns of either parent. →For the welfare of a very young animal, as long as it remains in its

mothers

mother's

womb

womb,

or in the egg, or as long as it is nourished and protected by its parent,

whether

most

must

→be quite unimportant whether most of its characters are

~~fully~~

fully