Charles Darwin Quotes - Page 13

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I find in the domestic duck that the bones of the wing weigh less and the bones of the leg more, in proportion to the whole skeleton, than do the same bones in the wild duck; and this change may be safely attributed to the domestic duck flying much less, and walking more, than its wild parents.

Charles Darwin

Change, Science, Skeletons

Charles Darwin (2010). “The Origin of Species: A Variorum Text”, p.83, University of Pennsylvania Press

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Extinction has only separated groups: it has by no means made them; for if every form which has ever lived on this earth were suddenly to reappear, though it would be quite impossible to give definitions by which each group could be distinguished from other groups, as all would blend together by steps as fine as those between the finest existing varieties, nevertheless a natural classification, or at least a natural arrangement, would be possible.

Charles Darwin

Mean, Science, Giving

Charles Darwin (2016). “On the Origin of Species”, p.322, Zillmann Publishing

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The explanation of types of structure in classes - as resulting from the will of the Deity, to create animals on certain plans - is no explanation. It has not the character of a physical law and is therefore utterly useless. It foretells nothing because we know nothing of the will of the Deity, how it acts and whether constant or inconstant like that of man.

Charles Darwin

Character, Men, Animal

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If a person asked my advice, before undertaking a long voyage, my answer would depend upon his possessing a decided taste for some branch of knowledge, which could by this means be advanced. No doubt it is a high satisfaction to behold various countries and the many races of mankind, but the pleasures gained at the time do not counterbalance the evils.

Charles Darwin

Country, Mean, Race

Charles Darwin (2008). “The Voyage of the Beagle”, p.503, Cosimo, Inc.

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It appears to me (whether rightly or wrongly) that direct arguments against Christianity and theism produce hardly any effect on the public; and freedom of thought is best promoted by the gradual illumination of men's minds, which follows from the advance of science.

Charles Darwin

Atheist, Men, Illumination

"Science and religion need a truce" by Chris Mooney and Sheril Kirshenbaum, www.theguardian.com. August 24, 2009.

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It at once struck me that under these circumstances favourable variations would tend to be preserved, and unfavourable ones to be destroyed.

Charles Darwin

Variation, Economics, Destroyed

"Darwin on Evolution: Words of Wisdom from the Father of Evolution".

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A grand and almost untrodden field of inquiry will be opened, on the causes and laws of variation, on correlation of growth, on the effects of use and disuse, on the direct actions of external conditions, and so forth.

Charles Darwin

Law, Direct Action, Growth

Charles Darwin, James T. Costa (2009). “The Annotated Origin: A Facsimile of the First Edition of On the Origin of Species”, p.486, Harvard University Press

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Thus disbelief crept over me at a very slow rate, but at last was complete. The rate was so slow that I felt no distress, and have never since doubted even for a single second that my conclusion was correct.

Charles Darwin

Lasts, Rate, Conclusion

Charles Darwin (2010). “The Works of Charles Darwin, Volume 29: “Erasmus Darwin” by Ernest Krause, with a Preliminary Notice by Charles Darwin; “The Autobiography of Charles Darwin” Edited by Nora Barlow; and Consolidated Index”, p.119, NYU Press

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Now when naturalists observe a close agreement in numerous small details of habits, tastes and dispositions between two or more domestic races, or between nearly-allied natural forms, they use this fact as an argument that all are descended from a common progenitor who was thus endowed; and consequently that all should be classed under the same species. The same argument may be applied with much force to the races of man.

Charles Darwin

Men, Two, Race

Charles Darwin (1872). “The Descent of Man, and Selection in Relation to Sex”, p.225

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The voyage of the Beagle has been by far the most important event in my life and has determined my whole career; yet it depended on so small a circumstance as my uncle offering to drive me 30 miles to Shrewsbury, which few uncles would have done, and on such a trifle as the shape of my nose.

Charles Darwin

Uncles, Science, Offering

Charles Darwin (2010). “The Works of Charles Darwin, Volume 29: “Erasmus Darwin” by Ernest Krause, with a Preliminary Notice by Charles Darwin; “The Autobiography of Charles Darwin” Edited by Nora Barlow; and Consolidated Index”, p.113, NYU Press

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Jealousy was plainly exhibited when I fondled a large doll, and when I weighed his infant sister, he being then 15? months old. Seeing how strong a feeling of jealousy is in dogs, it would probably be exhibited by infants at any earlier age than just specified if they were tried in a fitting manner

Charles Darwin

Dog, Strong, Emotional

Charles Darwin “Charles Darwin: An Anthology”, Transaction Publishers

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I have deeply regretted that I did not proceed far enough at least to understand something of the great leading principles of mathematics, for men thus endowed seem to have an extra sense.

Charles Darwin

Men, Principles, Enough

Charles Darwin (2010). “The Works of Charles Darwin, Volume 29: “Erasmus Darwin” by Ernest Krause, with a Preliminary Notice by Charles Darwin; “The Autobiography of Charles Darwin” Edited by Nora Barlow; and Consolidated Index”, p.101, NYU Press

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The several difficulties here discussed, namely our not finding in the successive formations infinitely numerous transitional links between the many species which now exist or have existed; the sudden manner in which whole groups of species appear in our European formations; the almost entire absence, as at present known, of fossiliferous formations beneath the Silurian strata, are all undoubtedly of the gravest nature.

Charles Darwin

Groups, Links, Absence

Charles Darwin (2010). “The Origin of Species: A Variorum Text”, p.518, University of Pennsylvania Press

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A cell is a complex structure, with its investing membrane, nucleus, and nucleolus.

Charles Darwin

Cells, Investing, Nucleus

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...I feel most deeply that the whole subject is too profound for the human intellect. A dog might as well speculate on the mind of Newton.— Let each man hope & believe what he can.—

Charles Darwin

Dog, Believe, Knowledge

Charles Darwin, Frederick Burkhardt (1993). “The Correspondence of Charles Darwin:”, p.224, Cambridge University Press

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Many kinds of monkeys have a strong taste for tea, coffee and spirituous liqueurs.

Charles Darwin

Strong, Coffee, Tea

Charles Darwin (1872). “The Descent of Man, and Selection in Relation to Sex”, p.12

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Who when examining in the cabinet of the entomologist the gay and exotic butterflies, and singular cicadas, will associate with these lifeless objects, the ceaseless harsh music of the latter, and the lazy flight of the former - the sure accompaniments of the still, glowing noonday of the tropics.

Charles Darwin

Butterfly, Gay, Glowing

Charles Darwin (1864). “Journal of Researches Into the Natural History and Geology of the Countries Visited During the Voyage of H.M.S. Beagle Round the World: Under the Command of Capt. Fitz Roy”, p.299

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I am turned into a sort of machine for observing facts and grinding out conclusions.

Charles Darwin

Inspirational, Science, Machines

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I shall always feel respect for every one who has written a book, let it be what it may, for I had no idea of the trouble which trying to write common English could cost one—And alas there yet remains the worst part of all correcting the press.

Charles Darwin

Book, Writing, Ideas

Charles Darwin, Frederick Burkhardt, Sydney Smith (1985). “The Correspondence of Charles Darwin: 1837-1843”, p.29, Cambridge University Press

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With mammals the male appears to win the female much more through the law of battle than through the display of his charms.

Charles Darwin

Winning, Law, Battle

Charles Darwin (2016). “The Descent of Man: the Evolution”, p.446, VM eBooks

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The tree of life should perhaps be called the coral of life, base of branches dead; so that passages cannot be seen-this again offers contradiction to constant succession of germs in progress.

Charles Darwin

Science, Tree, Progress

Charles Darwin, Thomas F. Glick, David Kohn (1996). “On Evolution: The Development of the Theory of Natural Selection”, p.54, Hackett Publishing

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Englishmen rarely cry, except under the pressure of the acutest grief; whereas in some parts of the Continent the men shed tears much more readily and freely.

Charles Darwin

Grief, Men, Tears

Charles Darwin, Sir Francis Darwin (2010). “The Works of Charles Darwin, Volume 23: The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals”, p.117, NYU Press

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Sympathy will have been increased through natural selection

Charles Darwin

Natural, Natural Selection, Has Beens

Charles Darwin (1875). “The Descent of Man, and Selection in Relation to Sex”, p.107

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It is often said that all the conditions for the first production of a living organism are now present, which could ever have been present. But if (and oh! what a big if!) we could conceive in some warm little pond, with all sorts of ammonia and phosphoric salts, light, heat, electricity, &c., present, that a proteine compound was chemically formed ready to undergo stillmore complex changes, at the present day such matter would be instantly devoured or absorbed, which would not have been the case before living creatures were formed.

Charles Darwin

Science, Light, Ifs And

"The Life and Letters of Charles Darwin" edited by Francis Darwin, Volume III, Ch. 1, (p. 18), 1887.

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It occurred to me, in 1837, that something might perhaps be made of this question (the origin of the species) by patiently accumulating and reflecting on all sorts of facts which could possibly have any bearing on it

Charles Darwin

Might, Facts, Made

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Born: February 12, 1809
Died: April 19, 1882
Occupation: Naturalist
Cite this Page: Citation

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