The Complete Work of Charles Darwin Online

RECORD: Darwin, C. R. 1853.11. By higher & lower, may be meant affinity to classes considered as higher as fishes to Reptile. CUL-DAR205.9.249. Edited by John van Wyhe (Darwin Online, http://darwin-online.org.uk/)

REVISION HISTORY: Transcribed by Christine Chua and edited by John van Wyhe 9.2021. RN1

NOTE: The brown crayon number '22' indicates that this document was filed by Darwin in his portfolio for the subject of Palaeontology: extinction.

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].

[249]

By higher & lower, may be meant affinity to classes considered as higher as fishes to Reptile

amount of morphological differentia, & difference from [embryo] is as much as generally change to more complicated functional development & relation to man, or animals allied to man in any important set of organs.

The oldest animals (when not of now existing class) being our intermediate between known classes is one of the safest prepositions regarding

[249v]

old animals.

With respect to the two Kinds / types it must not be forgotten that number comes into play, though perhaps it sh? not come into play.

(Wd real fish be considered typical if only a few.

November 1853.

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