RECORD: Darwin, C. R. 1842.02. Abstract of Owen, Report on the Missourium now exhibiting at the Egyptian Hall, 1842. CUL-DAR205.9.147. (John van Wyhe ed., 2002-. The Complete Work of Charles Darwin Online, http://darwin-online.org.uk/)

REVISION HISTORY: Transcribed by Christine Chua and edited by John van Wyhe 9. 2021. RN2

NOTE: See record in the Darwin Online manuscript catalogue, enter its Identifier here. Reproduced with permission of the Syndics of Cambridge University Library and William Huxley Darwin. The volume CUL-DAR205.9 contains notes on palaeontology and geology [regarding theory of evolution].


[147]

= Feb. 1842 = (11) 11

Owen in his paper on Mast. Gigant. describes beautiful series of teeth elephant, Elephantoid-Mast, Mast, Dinotherium (?) tapir -  Now this series has nothing probably direct in showing the transitional forms through which the teeth of Elephant has passed - without these are descendants from different stages in the linear progenitors of the Elephant = this is an extensive puzzle I cannot explain = If we take the extreme teeth, we could not believe they had descended from a common form; but with these intermediate teeth, we can see, or guess, which were the early intermediate forms = (5) - as for a really perfect series by insensible steps from the elephant to the Tapir it is absurd; no doubt, also, each has some pecularities distinct =

[in margin:] Gradation in characters

[147v]

Preserve the other side Ch 7 p. 38 give Reference

ask Owen where this is said

Owen remarks that in two genera of Mammal with differently-formed teeth he utterly disbelieves that the jaw on any one instance correspond - good remark to bear in mind - when a part has changed the whole has always in some, perhaps much lesser degree changed.

Owen, Richard. 1841. On the teeth of species of the great Labyrinthodon (Mastodonsaurus of Jaeger) common to the German Keuper formation and the lower sandstone of Warwick and Leamington. Transactions of the Geological Society of London 2d ser. 6: 503-513. [Darwin Pamphlet Collection Quarto 12] PDF


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Citation: John van Wyhe, ed. 2002-. The Complete Work of Charles Darwin Online. (http://darwin-online.org.uk/)

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