Origin of Species Variorum

↑ 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.

→ any one or more 1859 1860

another 1861 1866

another and modified 1869 1872

→ 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

→ discover, owing to the imperfection of the geological record. 1859 1860 1861 1866

find so many links. 1869 1872

→ on the common view, whether or not 1859 1860 1861

whether or not on the common view 1866

whether or not 1869 1872

→ are 1859 1860 1861 1866

ought to be called 1869 1872

→ Widely 1859 1860 1861

It is the dominant and widely 1866 1869 1872

→ vary 1859 1860 1861

which vary most frequently and vary 1866 1869 1872

→ less 1859 1860 1861

in any one formation less 1866 1869 1872

strata must somewhere have been deposited at these ancient and utterly unknown epochs

the

worlds

world's

history.

I can answer these

question

questions

and

~~grave~~

grave

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

have certainly

certainly have

existed. ↑ We should not be able to recognise a species as the parent of →any one or more

species,

species

if we were to examine

both

the

them

two ever

ever

so closely, unless we

~~likewise~~

likewise

possessed

most

many

of the intermediate

links;

links

→between their past or parent and present states; and these many links we could hardly ever expect to →discover, owing to the imperfection of the geological record. 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,

→on the common view, whether or not these doubtful forms →are 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

geological

geologically

explored. Only organic beings of certain classes can be preserved in a fossil condition, at least in any great number. →Widely ranging species →vary most, and varieties are often at first

local—

local,—

both causes rendering the discovery of intermediate links →less likely. Local varieties will not spread into other and distant regions until they are considerably modified and

~~im-~~

im-