Seite - 76 - in The Origin of Species
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CHAPTER III
Struggle for Existence
Its bearing on natural selection—The term used in a wide sense—
Geometrical ratio of increase—Rapid increase of naturalized
animals and plants—Nature of the checks to increase—Competi-
tion universal—Effects of climate—Protection from the number
of individuals—Complex relations of all animals and plants
throughout nature—Struggle for life most severe between indi-
viduals and varieties of the same species : often severe between
species of the same genus—The relation of organism to organism
the most important of all relations.
BEFORE entering on the subject of this chapter, I
mustmake
a few preliminary remarks, to show how
thestruggle
for existence bears on Natural Selection. It
has been seen in the last chapter that amongst organic beings
in a state of nature there is some individual variability: in-
deed I am not aware that this has ever been disputed. It is
immaterial for us whether a multitude of doubtful forms be
called species or sub-species or varieties; what rank, for in-
stance, the two or three hundred doubtful forms of British
plants are entitled to hold, if the existence of any well-marked
varieties be admitted. But the mere existence of individual
variability and of some few well-marked varieties, though
necessary as the foundation for the work, helps us but little
in understanding how species arise in nature. How have all
those exquisite adaptations of one part of the organisation
to another part, and to the conditions of life, and of one
organic being to another being, been perfected? We see
these beautiful co-adaptations most plainly in the wood-
pecker and the mistletoe; and only a little less plainly
in the humblest parasite which clings to the hairs of a quad-
ruped or feathers of a bird: in the structure of the beetle
which dives through the water : in the plumed seed which is
wafted by the gentlest breeze; in short, we see beautiful
_76
zurĂĽck zum
Buch The Origin of Species"
The Origin of Species
- Titel
- The Origin of Species
- Autor
- Charles Darwin
- Verlag
- P. F. Collier & Son
- Ort
- New York
- Datum
- 1909
- Sprache
- englisch
- Lizenz
- PD
- Abmessungen
- 10.5 x 16.4 cm
- Seiten
- 568
- Schlagwörter
- Evolutionstheorie, Evolution, Theory of Evolution, Naturwissenschaft, Natural Sciences
- Kategorien
- International
- Naturwissenschaften Biologie
Inhaltsverzeichnis
- EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION 5
- AN HISTORICAL SKETCH of the Progress of Opinion on the Origin of Species 9
- INTRODUCTION 21
- Variation under Domestication 25
- Variation under Nature 58
- Struggle for Existence 76
- Natural Selection; or the Survival of the Fittest 93
- Laws of Variation 145
- Difficulties of the Theory 178
- Miscellaneous Objections to the Theory of Natural Selection 219
- Instinct 262
- Hybridism 298
- On the Imperfection of the Geological Record 333
- On the Geological Succession of Organic Beinss 364
- Geographical Distribution 395
- Geographical Distribution - continued 427
- Mutual Affinities of Organic Beings: Morphology: Embryology: Rudimentary Organs 450
- Recapitulation and Conclusion 499
- GLOSSARY 531
- INDEX 541