Forbes
supposed to manifest polarity; 4th, the phenomena of rudimentary
organs. We will briefly endeavour to show its bearing upon each of
these.
If [this] law be true, it follows that the natural series of
affinities will also represent the order in which the several
species came into existence, each one having had for its immediate
antetype a clearly allied species existing at the time of its
origin.... If two or more species have been independently formed
on the plan of a common antetype, then the series of affinities
will be compound, and can only be represented by a forked or
many-branched line.... Sometimes the series of affinities can be
well represented for a space by a direct progression from species
to species or from group to group, but it is generally found
impossible so to continue. There constantly occur two or more
modifications of an organ or modifications of two distinct organs,
leading us on to two distinct series of species, which at length
differ so much from each other as to form distinct genera or
families.
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