strata must somewhere have been deposited at these ancient and utterly unknown epochs
in in 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869 | of 1872 |
the
world's world's 1859 1860 1861 1866 1872 | worlds 1869 |
history. |
|
I can answer these
questions questions 1859 1860 1861 1869 1872 | question 1866 |
and
grave grave 1859 1860 | grave 1861 1866 1869 1872 |
objections only on the supposition that the geological record is far more imperfect than most geologists believe. It cannot be objected that there has not been time sufficient for any amount of organic change; for the lapse of time has been so great as to be utterly inappreciable by the human intellect. The number of specimens in all our museums is absolutely as nothing compared with the countless generations of countless species which
certainly have certainly have 1859 1860 1861 1866 | have certainly 1869 1872 |
existed. ↑1 blocks not present in 1859 1860; present in 1861 1866 1869 1872 | The parent form of
any
two or more species would not be in all its characters directly intermediate between its modified offspring, any more than the rock-pigeon is directly intermediate in crop and tail between its descendants
the pouter and fantail pigeons.
|
We should not be able to recognise a species as the parent of
any one or more any one or more 1859 1860 |
another 1861 1866 |
another and modified 1869 1872 |
species species 1859 1860 1861 1866 | species, 1869 1872 |
if we were to examine
them them 1859 1860 | both 1861 1866 1869 | the 1872 |
ever ever 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869 | two ever 1872 |
so closely, unless we
likewise likewise 1859 1860 1861 1866 | likewise 1869 1872 |
possessed
many many 1859 1860 1861 1866 | most 1869 1872 |
of the intermediate
links links 1859 1860 1861 1866 | links; 1869 1872 |
between their past or parent and present states; and these many links we could hardly ever between their past or parent and present states; and these many links we could hardly ever 1859 1860 |
between their past and present states; and these many links we could hardly ever 1861 1866 |
and owing to the imperfection of the geological record, we have no just right to 1869 1872 |
expect to
discover, owing to the imperfection of the geological record. discover, owing to the imperfection of the geological record. 1859 1860 1861 1866 |
find so many links. 1869 1872 |
Numerous existing doubtful forms could be named which are probably varieties; but who will pretend that in future ages so many fossil links will be discovered, that naturalists will be able to
decide, decide, 1859 1860 1861 | decide 1866 1869 1872 |
on the common view, whether or not on the common view, whether or not 1859 1860 1861 |
whether or not on the common view 1866 |
whether or not 1869 1872 |
these doubtful forms
are are 1859 1860 1861 1866 |
ought to be called 1869 1872 |
varieties? As long as most of the links between any two species are unknown, if any one link or intermediate variety be discovered, it will simply be classed as another and distinct species. Only a small portion of the world has been
geologically geologically 1859 1860 1861 1869 1872 | geological 1866 |
explored. Only organic beings of certain classes can be preserved in a fossil condition, at least in any great number. Widely Widely 1859 1860 1861 |
It is the dominant and widely 1866 1869 1872 |
ranging species
vary vary 1859 1860 1861 |
which vary most frequently and vary 1866 1869 1872 |
most, and varieties are often at first
local,— local,— 1859 1860 | local— 1861 1866 1869 1872 |
both causes rendering the discovery of intermediate links
less less 1859 1860 1861 |
in any one formation less 1866 1869 1872 |
likely. Local varieties will not spread into other and distant regions until they are considerably modified and
im- im- 1859 1860 | im- 1861 1866 1869 1872 |
|