Bats Quote by Charles Darwin
“What can be more curious than that the hand of a man, formed for grasping, that of a mole for digging, the leg of the horse, the paddle of the porpoise, and the wing of the bat, should all be constructed on the same pattern?”
About This Quote
Source Book: On the Origin of Species, 1859
Different animal limbs share a common structural pattern despite varied functions
In simple terms: Animal parts are built on a shared design
Key Takeaway
Recognize underlying unity in diversity
Themes
evolution
biology
design
Mood
inquisitive
reflective
Type
scientific
educational
When to use this quote
- biology class
- comparative anatomy
- science communication
Key Concepts
homology
adaptation
Questions to Reflect On
- How does this pattern support evolutionary theory?
- What limits exist in comparing disparate species?
A Different Perspective
Complexity of evolution can be oversimplified
![“I see no good reason why the views given this volume [The Origin of Species] should shock the religious feelings of any one. It is satisfactory, as showing how transient such impressions are, to remember that the greatest discovery ever made by man, namely, the law of attraction of gravity, was…” quote by Charles Darwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/2fd/charles-darwin-507_attraction_i-see-no-good-reason-why-the-views-given_1405084.jpg)
![“When it was first said that the sun stood still and world turned round, the common sense of mankind declared the doctrine false; but the old saying of Vox populi, vox Dei [the voice of the people is the voice of God], as every philosopher knows, cannot be trusted in science.” quote by Charles Darwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/5f6/charles-darwin-507_agnosticism_when-it-was-first-said-that-the-sun-stoo_226722.jpg)
![“I am quite conscious that my speculations run beyond the bounds of true science…It is a mere rag of an hypothesis with as many flaw[s] & holes as sound parts.” quote by Charles Darwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/958/charles-darwin-507_bounds_i-am-quite-conscious-that-my-speculation_35382.jpg)
