RECORD: Darwin, C. R. 1848.04. Owen showing me the head of new African ourang. CUL-DAR73.51a Edited by John van Wyhe (Darwin Online, http://darwin-online.org.uk/).
REVISION HISTORY: Transcribed by Kees Rookmaaker, edited by John van Wyhe 3.2014. RN1
NOTE: Notes on the Gorilla. Darwin was in London on 19 April 1848 for a meeting of the Geological Society. (Paul van Helvert & John van Wyhe, Darwin: A Companion, 2021)
Reproduced with the permission of the Syndics of Cambridge University Library and William Huxley Darwin. The volumes CUL-DAR 72-75 contain Darwin's abstracts of scientific books and journals.
51a
April /48/ Owen showing me the head of new African ourang, remarked that it was conceivable that use might make the great crests for muscles & general increase in size, but how could external conditions make vast eye-bones, & the peculiar form of nasal bones, different from those in other species. — My answer would be, are those parts of any use; if so, they cd be gained by selection — or why shd they not indirectly come from changes in other parts, as development of Brain &c. or organs of sense. like frontals when horn abort — perhaps no other parts are changed.
Waterhouse believes most of islands of E. Indian Arch have their own pigs — some quadrupeds in common between Abyssinie & Cape, because not separate by Deserts.
Citation: John van Wyhe, ed. 2002-. The Complete Work of Charles Darwin Online. (http://darwin-online.org.uk/)
File last updated 25 September, 2022