their ancient homes, as they would differ from their former
state state 1872 | state, 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869 |
in a nearly uniform, though perhaps extremely slight degree,
and as they would be found embedded in slightly different sub-stages of the same formation, they and as they would be found embedded in slightly different sub-stages of the same formation, they 1861 1866 1869 1872 |
they 1859 1860 |
would, according to the principles followed by many palæontologists, be ranked as new and distinct species. |
|
If
then then 1861 1866 1869 1872 | then, 1859 1860 |
there be some degree of truth in these remarks, we have no right to expect to
find, find, 1866 1869 1872 | find 1859 1860 1861 |
in our geological formations, an infinite number of those fine transitional
forms forms 1861 1866 1869 1872 | forms, 1859 1860 |
which, which, 1861 1866 1869 1872 | which 1859 1860 |
on
our our 1869 1872 | my 1859 1860 1861 1866 |
theory, theory, 1861 1866 1869 1872 | theory 1859 1860 |
....... 1861 1866 1869 1872 | assuredly 1859 1860 |
have connected all the past and present species of the same group into one long and branching chain of life. We ought only to look for a few links,
and such assuredly we do find— and such assuredly we do find— 1861 1866 1869 1872 |
some more closely, 1859 1860 |
some more
distantly, distantly, 1861 1866 1869 1872 | distantly 1859 1860 |
some more closely, related some more closely, related 1861 1866 1869 1872 |
related 1859 1860 |
to each other; and these links, let them be ever so close, if found in different stages of the same formation, would, by
many many 1861 1866 1869 1872 | most 1859 1860 |
palæontologists, palæontologists, 1860 1861 1866 1869 1872 | palæonto- logists, 1859 |
be ranked as distinct species. But I do not pretend that I should ever have suspected how poor
was the record in was the record in 1869 1872 |
a record of the mutations of life, 1859 1860 |
a record of the mutations of life 1861 1866 |
the best
preserved preserved 1859 1860 1866 1869 1872 | pre-served 1861 |
geological
sections, sections, 1869 1872 | section 1859 1860 1861 1866 |
....... 1869 1872 | presented, 1859 1860 1861 | would present, 1866 |
had not the
absence absence 1869 1872 | difficulty 1859 1860 1861 1866 |
of
...OMIT 1869 1872 |
our not discovering 1859 1860 1861 1866 |
innumerable transitional links between the species which
lived lived 1869 1872 | appeared 1859 1860 1861 1866 |
at the commencement and close of each formation, pressed so hardly on my theory. |
On
On
1866 1869 1872 |
On
1859 1860 1861 |
the
the
1866 1869 1872 |
the
1859 1860 1861 |
sudden
sudden
1866 1869 1872 |
sudden
1859 1860 1861 |
Appearance
Appearance
1866 1869 1872 |
appearance
1859 1860 1861 |
of
of
1866 1869 1872 |
of
1859 1860 1861 |
whole
whole
1866 1869 1872 |
whole
1859 1860 1861 |
Groups
Groups
1866 1869 1872 |
groups
1859 1860 1861 |
of
of
1866 1869 1872 |
of
1859 1860 1861 |
allied
allied
1866 1869 1872 |
Allied
1859 1860 |
allied
1861 |
Species
.
Species
. 1866 1869 1872 |
Species
.—
1859 1860 1861 |
|
The abrupt manner in which whole groups of species suddenly appear in certain formations, has been urged by several
palæontologists— palæontologists— 1860 1861 1866 1869 1872 | palæontologists, 1859 |
for instance, by Agassiz, Pictet, and
Sedgwick— Sedgwick— 1861 1866 1869 1872 |
by none more forcibly than by Professor Sedgwick, 1859 |
by none more forcibly than by Professor Sedgwick— 1860 |
as a fatal objection to the belief in the transmutation of species. If numerous species, belonging to the same genera or families, have really started into life
....... 1861 1866 1869 1872 | all 1859 1860 |
at once, the fact would be fatal to the theory of
evolution evolution 1872 |
descent with slow modification 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869 |
through natural selection. For the development
by this means of by this means of 1872 |
of 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869 |
a group of forms, all of which
are are 1872 | have 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869 |
descended from some one progenitor, must have been an extremely slow process; and the
progenitors progenitors 1859 1860 1861 1866 1872 | progenitors, 1869 |
must have lived long
....... 1872 | ages 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869 |
before their modified descendants. But we continually
overrate overrate 1866 1869 1872 | over-rate 1859 1860 1861 |
the perfection of the geological record, and falsely infer, because certain genera or families have not been found beneath a certain stage, that they did not exist before that stage. In all cases positive palæontological evidence may be implicitly trusted; negative evidence is worthless, as experience has so often shown. We continually forget how large the world is, compared with the area over which our geological formations have been carefully examined; we forget that groups of species may elsewhere have long
existed, existed, 1861 1866 1869 1872 | existed 1859 1860 |
and have slowly
multiplied, multiplied, 1861 1866 1869 1872 | multiplied 1859 1860 |
before they invaded the ancient archipelagoes of Europe and
....... 1861 1866 1869 1872 | of 1859 1860 |
the United States. We do not make due allowance for the
....... 1872 | enormous 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869 |
intervals of
time time 1861 1866 1869 1872 | time, 1859 1860 |
which have
....... 1861 1866 1869 1872 | probably 1859 1860 |
elapsed between our
|