The Principles of Biology, Volume 1 (of 2)Spencer, Herbert
Science
The Principles of Biology, Volume 1 (of 2)
Spencer, Herbert
Biology
Some other antecedent remains, however. The parents being the same, and
their constitutional states the same, variation, more or less marked, still
manifests itself. Plants grown from seeds out of one pod, or animals
produced at one birth, are not alike. Sometimes they differ considerably.
In a litter of pigs or of kittens, we rarely see uniformity of markings;
and occasionally there are important structural contrasts. I have myself
recently been shown a litter of Newfoundland puppies, some of which had
four digits to their feet, while in others there was present, on each
hind-foot, what is called the "dew-claw"--a rudimentary fifth digit.
Thus, induction points to three causes of variation, all in action
together. We have heterogeneity among progenitors, which, did it act
uniformly and alone in generating, by composition of forces, new
deviations, would impress such new deviations to the same extent on all
offspring of the same parents; which it does not. We have functional
variation in the parents, which, acting either alone or in combination with
the preceding cause, would entail the same structural variations on all
young ones simultaneously produced; which it does not. Consequently there
is some third cause of variation, yet to be found, which acts along with
the structural and functional variations of ancestors and parents.
§ 87. Already, in the last section, there has been implied some relation
between variation and the action of external conditions. The above-cited
contrast between the uniformity of a wild species and the multiformity of
the same species when cultivated or domesticated, thrusts this truth upon
us. Respecting the variations of plants, Mr. Darwin remarks that "'sports'
are extremely rare under nature, but far from rare under cultivation."
Others who have studied the matter assert that if a species of plant which,
up to a certain time, has maintained great uniformity, once has its
constitution thoroughly disturbed, it will go on varying indefinitely.
Though, in consequence of the remoteness of the periods at which they were
domesticated, there is a lack of positive proof that our extremely variable
domestic animals have become variable under the changed conditions implied
by domestication, having been previously constant; yet competent judges do
not doubt that this has been the case.
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