Chapter 9: On the Imperfection of the Geological Record Summary and Analysis

One of the most serious objections to the theory of natural selection is the lack of organisms that link together the various species. If, for example, a species of cattle descended from a distinct species, it might be objected that there ought to at least be evidence of cattle that represent the transition from the one species to the other. The fact that there are no existing organisms that represent this transition was discussed in previous chapters. The process of natural selection causes the extinction of those forms of life that do not adapt, and, therefore, only the species of cattle that is most fit for surviving and reproducing in its circumstances will survive. However, this does not explain why the geological record—that is, the...