OEB 53 Chapter Notes -Transitional Fossil, Intelligent Design
17 Feb 2014
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The origin of the species: chapter 6 (difficulties on theory) What are the four main difficulties that darwin anticipates with his theory? (he discusses two in detail in this chapter, and the other two each in its own subsequent chapter) The four main difficulties are 1) absence of transitional varieties, 2) modification of structures into wholly different uses, 3) evolution of instinct by natural selection, and 3) patterns in hybrid sterility. Darwin argues that we can see transitional forms in both living species and fossils. Darwin suggests that so few transitional fossils are observed because the geological record is far from perfect, most likely because organisms did not inhabit a deep-see environment ideal for preservation of remains. He points out that living transitional forms are not expected to be common because descent with modification involves offspring forms continuously supplanting parental forms.
