| → rich in fossil species of very many kinds and thick 1869 |
| thick 1859 1860 |
| rich in fossils and thick 1861 1866 |
| rich in fossil species of many kinds, and thick 1872 |
|
| → most of our 1861 1866 1869 1872 |
| the 1859 1860 |
|
| → local; and lastly, although each species must have passed through numerous transitional stages, it is probable that the periods, during which each underwent modification, though many and long as measured by years, have been short in comparison with the periods during which each remained in an unchanged condition. 1866 1869 1872 |
| local. 1859 1860 1861 |
|
| → OMIT 1866 1869 1872 |
| must have tended to make the geological record extremely imperfect, and 1859 1860 |
| must have made the geological record extremely imperfect, and 1861 |
|
| → find many links— we do not find 1869 1872 |
| not find 1859 1860 |
| find 1861 1866 |
|
| → interminable 1859 1860 1869 1872 |
| many links between the members of the same group— we do not find interminable 1861 |
| many links between the species of the same group— we do not find interminable 1866 |
|
| →rich in fossil species of very many kinds and thick
enough to
future degradation,
intervals of time
elapsed between
→most of our
successive formations; that there has probably been more extinction during the periods of subsidence, and more variation during the periods of elevation, and during the latter the record will have been least perfectly kept; that each single formation has not been continuously deposited; that the duration of each formation is,
short compared with the average duration of specific forms; that migration has played an important part in the first appearance of new forms in any one area and formation; that widely ranging species are those which have varied
have oftenest given rise to new species;
that varieties have at first
been
→local; and lastly, although each species must have passed through numerous transitional stages, it is probable that the periods, during which each underwent modification, though many and long as measured by years, have been short in comparison with the periods during which each remained in an unchanged condition.
taken conjointly,
→OMIT
will to a large extent explain
we do
→find many links— we do not find
→interminable
varieties, connecting together all
extinct and existing forms
by the finest graduated steps. It should also be constantly borne in mind that any linking
between two
forms, which might be found, would be ranked, unless the whole chain could be perfectly restored, as
new and distinct species; for it is not pretended that we have any sure criterion by which species and varieties can be discriminated. |
|
| He who rejects
the
of the geological record, will rightly reject
whole theory. For he may ask in vain where are the numberless
|
