Origin of Species Variorum

→ belong to the same system with 1859 1860 1861 1866

can be classed with all 1869 1872

→ falling either into the same or into intermediate groups, 1859 1860 1861 1866

naturally 1869 1872

→ the groups which have descended from an ancient progenitor 1859 1860 1861 1866

species 1869 1872

→ the progenitor with its early descendants will often be intermediate in character in comparison with its later descendants; and thus 1859 1860 1861 1866

during their long course of descent and modification, 1869 1872

→ the 1859 1860 1861 1866

it is that the 1869 1872

→ a fossil is, the oftener it stands 1859 1860 1861 1866

forms, or early progenitors of each group, so often occupy a position 1869 1872

→ in some vague sense, higher 1859 1860

on the whole, higher 1861 1866

on the whole, higher in the scale of organisation 1869 1872

→ are 1859 1860 1861 1866

must be higher, 1869 1872

→ in so far higher 1859 1860 1861

higher in so far 1866

in so far 1869 1872

→ life. 1859 1860

life; they will also generally have had their organs more specialised for different functions. 1861 1866

life; they have also generally had their organs more specialized for different functions. 1869

life; they have also generally had their organs more specialised for different functions. 1872

↑ 1 blocks not present in 1859 1860; present in 1861 1866 1869 1872

This fact is perfectly compatible with numerous beings still retaining a simple and little improved organisation fitted for simple conditions of life; it is likewise compatible with some forms having retrograded in organisation, though becoming under each grade of descent better fitted for their changed and degraded habits of life.

→ within a confined 1859 1860 1861 1866

generally within the same 1869

within the same 1872

fossils in the

formation

formations

above and below, is simply explained by their intermediate position in the chain of descent. The grand fact that all extinct

~~organic~~

organic

beings →belong to the same system with recent beings, →falling either into the same or into intermediate groups, follows from the living and the extinct being the

off-spring

offspring

of common parents. As →the groups which have descended from an ancient progenitor have generally diverged in

character

character,

→the progenitor with its early descendants will often be intermediate in character in comparison with its later descendants; and thus we can

understand

see

why →the more ancient →a fossil is, the oftener it stands in some degree intermediate between existing

allied

~~and allied~~

and allied

groups. Recent forms are generally looked

upon

as being, →in some vague sense, higher than ancient

~~and extinct~~

and extinct

forms; and they →are →in so far higher as the later and more improved forms have conquered the older and less improved

forms

organic beings

in the struggle for →life. ↑ Lastly, the

wonderful law

law

of the long endurance of allied forms on the same continent,— of marsupials in Australia, of edentata in America, and other such cases,— is intelligible, for →within a confined

country

country,

the

existing

recent

and the extinct will

~~naturally~~

naturally

closely allied

allied

by descent.

Looking to geographical distribution, if we admit that there has been during the long course of ages much migration from one part of the world to another, owing to former climatal and geographical changes and to the many occasional and unknown means of dispersal, then we can understand, on the theory of descent with modification, most of the great leading facts in Distribution. We can see why there should be so striking a parallelism in the distribution of organic beings throughout space, and in their geological succession throughout time; for in both cases the beings have been connected by the bond of ordinary generation, and the means of