New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-01-03


species and the useful adaptations of organ
lsms, is undergoing more rigorous lombard
tnent OF criticism than has been the since
The first furious onslaught, following the pub
llcation Of the noted scientists theory died
away. There have not been wanting. of course,
critics Of sufficient pertinacity to keep the Oar
Ninians on the Qui yiye, and il is of moment TO
record that so serious were the objections raised
that the defenders Of the theory Of natural
selection were at one time forced into corner
from which there seemed little escape. Then it
was that the theory Of organic selection was
elaborated, holding that acquired characters, or
individual adaptations, while not directly in
herifed are yet influential in indirectly de-
terminng the course of evolution. allowing the
species by congenital variations, to acquire the
characteristics which in the beginning were ac-
ouired only 10y individuals. What served espe-
ciaIly to give this theory weight the fact
that il was formulated independently by three
workers In distinct branches of scientific re-
scaroh-Professors J. Mark Baldwin. c. Lloyd
Morgan and H. F Osborn. II has latterly be-
come evident however, that the scientists who
clafe under what they pleased to term the
parwinian dogma disposed to reopen the
whole question. But a few weeks ago there was
published a volume entitled Doubts about OAR
Winism," written by who styled himself
.Seai- Darwinian." While this work not
remarkable for sound criticism and betrayed an
inadequate appreciation Of the results Of latter
day biological research it contained enough in
the nature of an Interrogation point TO make the
-Darwinians shift uneasily. And now We
have from the pen Of DR.. T. H. Morgan, pro-
fesscr Of biology at Bryn Mawr College, vol
ume calculated TO start anew the battle of the
eyoIutonists for il not only repeats with re-
neHed force the oldtme criticisms but it asks
ala mia "a
ton.
DR. Morgans attitude toward the theory OF
natural selection was indicated very clearly with
the publication two years a so Of his work on
the regeneration OF organisms for therein he
showed that he deemed the Darwinian theory
Inadequate to explain the requirement OF the
useful ability to replace lost parts In his pres
ent volume he goes much further. examining
the whole question Of the adaptation OF living
things 20 the conditions Of their environment.
The problem as he states it is: Have the ma
terials Of which organisms are composed been
given a definite arrangement, SO that they fulfil
the purpose Of maintaining the existence Of the
organism and If So how has this been accom-
plished? BY the Darwinian hypothesis the
origin of adaptations is accounted for as the
result Of the benefits they give their possessor,
but DR.. Morgan doubts whether this is in har-
mony with the facts. And in the process of
presenting and scrutinizng the phenomena
going TO support or confute the selection theory
We find him vigorously attacking what the Oar
Winians consider one OF the prime foundation
stones Of the whole doctrine Of eYolution-con-
tinuous variation.
According to Darwin, nature does not proceed
by leaps and bounds, species being formed by
the slow accumulation OF variations beneficial
10 the organism. Huxley was one Of the first
10 scent danger in this dictuTn, especially since
Darwin himself had admitted the appearance
OF what seemed TO be cases Of discontinuous
variatlon-that is, the sudden appearance of a
new and sharply defined species-and suggested
the ACCESSIBILITY Of admitting the possibility OF
nature proceeding at times by sudden jumps, to
be compared to the sports of the gardener.
This is exactly the theory which DR.. Morgan
known as the mutation" theory. He naively
profers it in preference to the selection theory
because, he suggests IT meets with no difficulty,
since il does not pretend 10 explain the origin
Of adaptations but merely seeks to account for
their occurrence. At the same time he affirms
10 do with the environment, but appeared indie
pendenty Of it. Having. however, appeared. IL
has been able to perpetuate itself under certain
conditions"
If he has been able TO pick flaws in the theory
OF continuous variation the Darwinians for their
fects OF the mutation hypothesis as laid down by