by
numerous, numerous, 1859 1860 1872 | numerous 1861 1866 1869 |
fine,
intermediate, intermediate, 1859 1860 1872 | intermediate 1861 1866 1869 |
fossil links, by asking
...OMIT 1860 1861 1866 1869 1872 |
CHAP. IX. GEOLOGICAL RECORD. 1859 |
ourselves ourselves 1859 1860 1869 1872 | our-selves 1861 1866 |
whether, for instance, geologists at some future period will be able to
prove prove 1861 1866 1869 1872 | prove, 1859 1860 |
that our different breeds of cattle, sheep, horses, and dogs
are are 1869 1872 | have 1859 1860 1861 1866 |
descended from a single stock or from several aboriginal stocks; or, again, whether certain sea-shells inhabiting the shores of North America, which are ranked by some conchologists as distinct species from their European representatives, and by other conchologists as
only only 1859 1860 1861 1869 1872 |
distinct species from their European representatives, and by other conchologists as only 1866 |
varieties, are really
varieties, varieties, 1861 1866 1869 1872 | varieties 1859 1860 |
or are, as it is called, specifically distinct. This could be effected
by the future geologist only by his by the future geologist only by his 1872 |
only by the future geologist 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869 |
discovering in a fossil state numerous intermediate
gradations; gradations; 1859 1860 1861 1869 1872 | gra- dations; 1866 |
and such success
is is 1861 1866 1869 1872 |
seems to me 1859 1860 |
improbable in the highest degree. |
|
It has been asserted over and over again, by writers who believe in the immutability of species, that geology
....... 1866 1869 1872 | has 1861 |
yields yields 1866 1869 1872 | yielded 1861 |
no linking forms. This
assertion, assertion, 1872 | assertion 1861 1866 1869 |
as we shall see in the next chapter, is certainly as we shall see in the next chapter, is certainly 1872 |
is entirely 1861 1866 1869 |
erroneous. As
Sir J. Sir J. 1866 1869 1872 | Mr. 1861 |
Lubbock has
....... 1866 1869 1872 | recently 1861 |
remarked,
"Every "Every 1866 1869 1872 | "Every 1861 |
species is a link between other allied
forms." If forms." If 1872 |
forms." We clearly see this if 1861 |
forms." We clearly see this if 1866 1869 |
we take a genus having a score of
species, recent and extinct, species, recent and extinct, 1872 |
recent and extinct species 1861 1866 1869 |
and destroy four-fifths of
them, them, 1872 | them; 1861 1866 1869 |
...OMIT 1872 |
for in this case 1861 1866 1869 |
no one
....... 1866 1869 1872 | will 1861 |
doubts doubts 1866 1869 1872 | doubt 1861 |
that the remainder will stand much more distinct from each other. If the extreme forms in the genus happen to have been thus destroyed, the genus itself
...OMIT 1872 |
in most cases 1861 1866 1869 |
will stand more distinct from other allied genera. ↑2 blocks not present in 1859 1860 1872; present in 1861 1866 1869 | The camel and the pig, or the horse and the tapir, are now obviously very distinct forms; but if we add the several fossil quadrupeds which have already been discovered to the families including the camel and pig, these forms become joined by links not extremely wide apart.
The chain of linking forms does not, however, in these cases, or in any case, run straight from the one living form to the other, but takes a circuitous sweep through the forms which lived during long past
ages.
|
What geological research has not
revealed, revealed, 1869 1872 | revealed 1861 1866 |
is the former existence of infinitely numerous gradations, as fine as existing varieties, connecting
together nearly all existing and extinct together nearly all existing and extinct 1872 |
all known 1861 1866 |
nearly all our existing species with extinct 1869 |
species.
But But 1869 1872 | And 1861 1866 |
this
ought not to be expected; yet this has been repeatedly advanced as a most serious objection ought not to be expected; yet this has been repeatedly advanced as a most serious objection 1869 1872 |
not having been effected by geology is the most obvious of the many objections which may be urged 1861 1866 |
against my views. ↑1 blocks not present in 1861 1866 1869 1872; present in 1859 1860 | Geological research, though it has added numerous species to existing and extinct genera, and has made the intervals between some few groups less wide than they otherwise would have been, yet has done scarcely anything in breaking down the distinction between species, by connecting them together by numerous, fine, intermediate varieties; and this not having been effected, is probably the gravest and most obvious of all the many objections which may be urged against my views.
|
|
It may It may 1869 1872 |
Hence it will 1859 1860 1861 1866 |
be worth while to sum up the
foregoing foregoing 1859 1860 1861 1869 1872 | fore-going 1866 |
remarks remarks 1861 1866 1869 1872 | remarks, 1859 1860 |
on the causes of the imperfection of the geological record under on the causes of the imperfection of the geological record under 1861 1866 1869 1872 |
under 1859 1860 |
an imaginary illustration. The Malay Archipelago is
....... 1861 1866 1869 1872 | of 1859 1860 |
about the size of Europe from the North Cape to the Mediterranean, and from Britain to Russia; and therefore equals all the geological
formations formations 1859 1860 1861 1869 1872 | forma- tions 1866 |
which have been examined with any accuracy, excepting those of the United States of America. I fully agree with Mr. Godwin-Austen, that the present condition of the Malay Archipelago, with its numerous large islands separated by wide and shallow seas, probably represents the former state of Europe,
whilst whilst 1860 1861 1866 1869 1872 | when 1859 |
most of our formations were accumulating. The Malay Archipelago is one of the richest regions
...OMIT 1872 |
of the whole world 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869 |
in organic beings; yet if all the species were to be collected which have ever lived there, how imperfectly would they represent the natural history of the world! |
|
But we have every reason to believe that the terrestrial productions of the archipelago would be preserved in an
extremely extremely 1869 1872 | excessively 1859 1860 1861 1866 |
imperfect manner in the formations which we suppose to be there accumulating.
Not Not 1869 1872 |
I suspect that not 1859 1860 1861 1866 |
many of the strictly littoral
|