Comparison with 1859 |
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undoubtedly occurred, that other variations useful in some way to each being in the great and complex battle of life, should
sometimes sometimes 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869 | sometimes 1872 |
occur in the course of
thousands of thousands of 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869 | many successive 1872 |
generations? If such do occur, can we doubt
(remem- bering (remem- bering 1859 1860 | (remembering 1861 1866 1869 1872 |
that many more individuals are born than can possibly survive) that individuals having any advantage, however slight, over others, would have the best chance of surviving and of procreating their kind? On the other hand, we may feel sure that any variation in the least degree injurious would be rigidly destroyed. This preservation of favourable
variations variations 1859 1860 1861 |
variations, 1866 1869 |
individual differences and variations, 1872 |
and the
rejection rejection 1859 1860 1861 1866 | destruction 1869 1872 |
of
injurious variations, I call injurious variations, I call 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869 |
those which are injurious, I have called 1872 |
Natural
Selection. Selection. 1859 1860 1861 1866 |
Selection, or the Survival of the Fittest. 1869 1872 |
Variations neither useful nor injurious would not be affected by natural selection, and would be left
a a 1859 1860 1861 1866 | either a 1869 1872 |
fluctuating element, as perhaps we see in
the species called polymorphic. the species called polymorphic. 1859 1860 1861 1866 |
certain polymorphic species, or would ultimately become fixed, owing to the nature of the organism and the nature of the conditions. 1869 1872 |
↑10 blocks not present in 1859 1860; present in 1861 1866 1869 1872 | Several writers have misapprehended or objected to the term Natural Selection.
Some have even imagined that natural selection induces variability, whereas it implies only the preservation of such variations as occur
and are beneficial to the being under its conditions of life.
No one objects to agriculturists speaking of the potent effects of man's
selection; and in this case the individual differences given by nature, which man for some object selects, must of necessity first occur.
Others have objected that the term selection implies conscious choice in the animals which become modified; and it has even been urged that
as plants have no volition, natural selection is not applicable to them!
In the literal sense of the word, no doubt, natural selection is a misnomer;
but who ever objected to chemists speaking of the elective affinities of the various elements?
— and yet an acid cannot strictly be said to elect the base with which it will
in preference combine.
It has been said that I speak of natural selection as an active power or Deity; but who objects to an author speaking of the attraction of gravity as ruling the movements of the planets?
Every one knows what is meant and is implied by such metaphorical expressions; and they are almost necessary for brevity.
So again it is difficult to avoid personifying the word Nature; but I mean by Nature, only the aggregate action and product of many natural laws, and by laws the sequence of events as ascertained by us.
With a little familiarity such superficial objections will be forgotten.
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|
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We shall best understand the probable course of natural selection by taking the case of a country undergoing some
physical physical 1859 1860 1861 | slight physical 1866 1869 1872 |
change, for instance, of climate. The proportional numbers of its
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undoubtedly occurred, that other variations useful in some way to each being in the great and complex battle of life, should
....... 1872 | sometimes 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869 |
occur in the course of
many successive many successive 1872 | thousands of 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869 |
generations? If such do occur, can we doubt
(remembering (remembering 1861 1866 1869 1872 | (remem- bering 1859 1860 |
that many more individuals are born than can possibly survive) that individuals having any advantage, however slight, over others, would have the best chance of surviving and of procreating their kind? On the other hand, we may feel sure that any variation in the least degree injurious would be rigidly destroyed. This preservation of favourable
individual differences and variations, individual differences and variations, 1872 |
variations 1859 1860 1861 |
variations, 1866 1869 |
and the
destruction destruction 1869 1872 | rejection 1859 1860 1861 1866 |
of
those which are injurious, I have called those which are injurious, I have called 1872 |
injurious variations, I call 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869 |
Natural
Selection, or the Survival of the Fittest. Selection, or the Survival of the Fittest. 1869 1872 |
Selection. 1859 1860 1861 1866 |
Variations neither useful nor injurious would not be affected by natural selection, and would be left
either a either a 1869 1872 | a 1859 1860 1861 1866 |
fluctuating element, as perhaps we see in
certain polymorphic species, or would ultimately become fixed, owing to the nature of the organism and the nature of the conditions. certain polymorphic species, or would ultimately become fixed, owing to the nature of the organism and the nature of the conditions. 1869 1872 |
the species called polymorphic. 1859 1860 1861 1866 |
|
|
Several writers have misapprehended or objected to the term Natural Selection. Some have even imagined that natural selection induces variability, whereas it implies only the preservation of such variations as
arise arise 1872 | occur 1861 1866 1869 |
and are beneficial to the being under its conditions of life. No one objects to agriculturists speaking of the potent effects of
man's man's 1861 1866 1872 | mans 1869 |
selection; and in this case the individual differences given by nature, which man for some object selects, must of necessity first occur. Others have objected that the term selection implies conscious choice in the animals which become modified; and it has even been urged
that, that, 1866 1869 1872 | that 1861 |
as plants have no volition, natural selection is not applicable to them! In the literal sense of the word, no doubt, natural selection is a
false term; false term; 1869 1872 | misnomer; 1861 1866 |
but who ever objected to chemists speaking of the elective affinities of the various elements? — and yet an acid cannot strictly be said to elect the base with which it
....... 1869 1872 | will 1861 1866 |
in preference
combines. combines. 1869 1872 | combine. 1861 1866 |
It has been said that I speak of natural selection as an active power or Deity; but who objects to an author speaking of the attraction of gravity as ruling the movements of the planets? Every one knows what is meant and is implied by such metaphorical expressions; and they are almost necessary for brevity. So again it is difficult to avoid personifying the word Nature; but I mean by Nature, only the aggregate action and product of many natural laws, and by laws the sequence of events as ascertained by us. With a little familiarity such superficial objections will be forgotten. |
|
We shall best understand the probable course of natural selection by taking the case of a country undergoing some
slight physical slight physical 1866 1869 1872 | physical 1859 1860 1861 |
change, for instance, of climate. The proportional numbers of its
|