Origin of Species Variorum

→ purpose must 1872

object had better 1859 1860 1861 1866

purpose had better 1869

→ shape. 1859 1861 1866 1869 1872

shape. Natural selection, it should never be forgotten, can act on each part of each being, solely through and for its advantage. 1860

→ OMIT 1872

on each part of each being, 1859 1861 1866 1869

→ advantage of each being. 1872

advantage. 1859 1861 1866 1869

→ as it is generally admitted, 1872

it has been stated by some authors, and I believe with truth, 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869

→ this subject; 1872

the general subject of rudimentary and aborted organs; 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869

→ result from 1872

be owing to 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869

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

Thus rudimentary parts are left to the free play of the various laws of growth, to the effects of long-continued disuse, and to the tendency to reversion.

→ manner , 1872

manner, 1859 1861

manner , 1860

manner, 1866 1869

→ Species , 1872

species, 1859 1861

species , 1860

Species, 1866 1869

→ variable . 1869 1872

variable .— 1859 1861

variable. — Several years ago I was much struck with a remark, nearly to the above effect, published by Mr. Waterhouse. 1860

variable . 1866

→ Waterhouse. 1859 1861 1866 1872

Waterhouse; Professor Owen, also, seems to have come to a nearly similar conclusion. 1869

→ OMIT 1872

I infer also from an observation made by 1859 1860 1861

I infer also, from an observation made by 1866

→ also, seems to have 1872

with respect to the length of the arms of the ourang-outang, that he has 1859 1860 1861 1866

→ one species or in a few species in comparison 1872

comparison 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869

→ wing 1872

bat's wing 1859 1861 1866

bats wing 1860

wing of the bat 1869

→ bat is a most 1872

most 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869

→ had 1869 1872

of bat had its 1859 1860 1861 1866

→ more rarely to the females, as they seldom 1872

as females more rarely 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869

that is, why natural selection should

have

not have

preserved or rejected each little deviation of form

less

carefully

than

when the part

had

has

to serve for

one

some one

special

purpose

purpose.

alone.

....

In the same way that a knife which has to cut all sorts of things may be of almost any shape; whilst a tool for some particular →purpose must be of some particular →shape. Natural selection, it should never be forgotten, can act →OMIT solely through and for

its

the

→advantage of each being.

Rudimentary parts, →as it is generally admitted, are apt to be highly variable. We shall have to recur to →this subject; and I will here only add that their variability seems to →result from their uselessness, and

therefore to

consequently from

natural selection having

had no

power to check deviations in their structure. ↑

part

Part

developed

any

species

Species

extraordinary

degree

→ manner ,

comparison

with

the

same

part

Part

allied

→ Species ,

tends

highly

→ variable .

Several years ago I was much struck

with

a remark,

nearly

....

to the above effect,

published

made

by Mr. →Waterhouse. →OMIT Professor Owen, →also, seems to have come to a nearly similar conclusion. It is hopeless to attempt to convince any one of the truth of

this

the above

proposition without giving the long array of facts which I have collected, and which cannot possibly be here introduced. I can only state my conviction that it is a rule of high generality. I am aware of several causes of error, but I hope that I have made due allowance for them. It should be understood that the rule by no means applies to any part, however unusually developed, unless it be unusually developed in →one species or in a few species in comparison with the same part in

closely

many closely

allied species. Thus, the →wing

a →bat is a most abnormal structure in the class

mammalia;

of mammalia;

of mammals,

but the rule would not

here

apply,

because

there

is a

whole group of bats

having

possesses

wings:

wings;

it would apply only if some one species →had wings developed in

some

remarkable manner in comparison with

~~the~~

the

other species of the same genus. The rule applies very strongly in the case of secondary sexual characters, when displayed in any unusual manner. The term, secondary sexual characters, used by Hunter,

applies

relates

to characters which are attached to one sex, but are not directly connected with the act of reproduction. The rule applies to males and females; but →more rarely to the females, as they seldom offer remarkable secondary sexual

characters,

applies

rarely

them.

The rule being so plainly applicable in the case of secondary sexual characters, may be due to the great variability of these characters, whether or not displayed in any unusual

manner—

manner —

of which fact I think there can be little doubt. But that our rule is not confined to secondary sexual characters is clearly shown in the case of