The Foundations of the Origin of Species: Two Essays written in 1842 and 1844Darwin, Charles
Philosophy
The Foundations of the Origin of Species: Two Essays written in 1842 and 1844
Darwin, Charles
Evolution (Biology); Natural selection
Let us recapitulate the whole <?> <of> these latter sections by taking
case of the three species of Rhinoceros, which inhabit Java, Sumatra,
and mainland of Malacca or India. We find these three close neighbours,
occupants of distinct but neighbouring districts, as a group having a
different aspect from the Rhinoceros of Africa, though some of these
latter inhabit very similar countries, but others most diverse stations.
We find them intimately related [scarcely <?> differences more than some
breeds of cattle] in structure to the Rhinoceros, which for immense
periods have inhabited this one, out of three main zoological divisions
of the world. Yet some of these ancient animals were fitted to very
different stations: we find all three <illegible> of the generic character
of the Rhinoceros, which form a [piece of net]{174} set of links in the
broken chain representing the Pachydermata, as the chain likewise forms
a portion in other and longer chains. We see this wonderfully in
dissecting the coarse leg of all three and finding nearly the same bones
as in bat's wings or man's hand, but we see the clear mark in solid
tibia of the fusion into it of the fibula. In all three we find their
heads composed of three altered vertebrae, short neck, same bones as
giraffe. In the upper jaws of all three we find small teeth like
rabbit's. In dissecting them in foetal state we find at a not very early
stage their form exactly alike the most different animals, and even with
arteries running as in a fish: and this similarity holds when the young
one is produced in womb, pond, egg or spawn. Now these three undoubted
species scarcely differ more than breeds of cattle, are probably
subject to many the same contagious diseases; if domesticated these
forms would vary, and they might possibly breed together, and fuse into
something{175} different <from> their aboriginal forms; might be selected
to serve different ends.
{174} The author doubtless meant that the complex relationships
between organisms can be roughly represented by a net in which the
knots stand for species.
{175} Between the lines occurs:--"one <?> form be lost."
Now the Creationist believes these three Rhinoceroses were created{176}
with their deceptive appearance of true, not <illegible> relationship;
as well can I believe the planets revolve in their present courses not
from one law of gravity but from distinct volition of Creator.
{176} The original sentence is here broken up by the insertion
of:--"out of the dust of Java, Sumatra, these <?> allied to past
and present age and <illegible>, with the stamp of inutility in
some of their organs and conversion in others."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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