--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Perhaps if one less dragonfly had drowned…" description: "\"“Perhaps if one less dragonfly had drowned in the Carboniferous swamps, the intelligent organisms on our planet today would have feathers and teach the..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4f8/carl-sagan-160_biology_perhaps-if-one-less-dragonfly-had-drowne_507654.jpg" --- # Perhaps if one less dragonfly had drowned in the… ![“Perhaps if one less dragonfly had drowned in the Carboniferous swamps, the intelligent organisms on our planet today would have feathers and teach their young in rookeries. The pattern of evolutionary causality is a web of astonishing complexity; the incompleteness of our understanding humbles us.” quote by Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4f8/carl-sagan-160_biology_perhaps-if-one-less-dragonfly-had-drowne_507654.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4f8/carl-sagan-160_biology_perhaps-if-one-less-dragonfly-had-drowne_507654.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4f8/carl-sagan-160_biology_perhaps-if-one-less-dragonfly-had-drowne_507654.jpg) > ““Perhaps if one less dragonfly had drowned in the Carboniferous swamps, the intelligent organisms on our planet today would have feathers and teach their young in rookeries. The pattern of evolutionary causality is a web of astonishing complexity; the incompleteness of our understanding humbles us.”” [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Evolutionary pathways are intricate and our grasp of them is limited, reminding us of humility. **In simple terms:** Evolution is complex and we know little. Key Takeaway Accept uncertainty and keep exploring. Themes science evolution humility Mood curious humble Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - research - education - policy making - conservation - public outreach Key Concepts complex systems causality interdependence Questions to Reflect On - How does acknowledging uncertainty change scientific inquiry? - What can we do to improve our understanding of evolutionary history? A Different Perspective Our models may oversimplify reality. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Biology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/biology/) [Causality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/causality/) [Evolution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evolution/) ## Related quotes > [Four elements, Hydrogen, carbon, oxygen and nitrogen, also provide an example of the astonishing togetherness of our universe. They make up the "organic" molecules…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-wald/four-elements-hydrogen-carbon-oxygen-and-nitrogen-also-provide-an/) [George Wald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-wald/) > [“For the rest of the earth’s organisms, existence is relatively uncomplicated. Their lives are about three things: survival, reproduction, death—and nothing else. 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