The Beak of the Finch

by

Jonathan Weiner

Inspired by the work of naturalist Charles Darwin, darwinism is the belief that the process of natural selection leads to the evolution of species.

Darwinism Quotes in The Beak of the Finch

The The Beak of the Finch quotes below are all either spoken by Darwinism or refer to Darwinism. For each quote, you can also see the other terms and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Natural Selection and Evolution as Ongoing Processes  Theme Icon
).
Chapter 2 Quotes

Only varieties. If so, they would fit comfortably within the orthodox view of life. But what if they were something more than varieties? […] What if there were no limits to their divergence? What if they had diverged first into varieties, and then gone right on diverging into species. new species, each marooned on its own island?

“—If there is the slightest foundation for these remarks,” Darwin wrote, “the zoology of Archipelagoes—will be well worth examining; for such facts undermine the stability of Species.” Then, in a scribble that foreshadowed two decades of agonized caution, Darwin inserted a word: “would undermine the stability of Species.”

Related Characters: Jonathan Weiner (speaker), Charles Darwin (speaker)
Related Symbols: The Beak of the Finch
Page Number: 27
Explanation and Analysis:
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Darwinism Term Timeline in The Beak of the Finch

The timeline below shows where the term Darwinism appears in The Beak of the Finch. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 12: Cosmic Partings
Natural Selection and Evolution as Ongoing Processes  Theme Icon
The Interconnectedness of Species and Ecosystems Theme Icon
Hybridization and Specialization Theme Icon
...of how new adaptations arise from gradual beginnings is one of the central questions of Darwinism. Darwin himself used the example of the evolution of the human eye to suggest that... (full context)