↑ 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.
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→ any one or more 1859 1860 |
another 1861 1866 |
another and modified 1869 1872 |
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→ 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 |
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→ discover, owing to the imperfection of the geological record. 1859 1860 1861 1866 |
find so many links. 1869 1872 |
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→ on the common view, whether or not 1859 1860 1861 |
whether or not on the common view 1866 |
whether or not 1869 1872 |
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→ are 1859 1860 1861 1866 |
ought to be called 1869 1872 |
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→ Widely 1859 1860 1861 |
It is the dominant and widely 1866 1869 1872 |
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→ vary 1859 1860 1861 |
which vary most frequently and vary 1866 1869 1872 |
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→ less 1859 1860 1861 |
in any one formation less 1866 1869 1872 |
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strata must somewhere have been deposited at these ancient and utterly unknown epochs
the
history. |
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I can answer these
and
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
existed. ↑
We should not be able to recognise a species as the parent of
→any one or more
if we were to examine
so closely, unless we
possessed
of the intermediate
→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
→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
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
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
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