"the missing link"

[Benjamin Zimmer]

The term "the missing link" is much in the news thanks to the hype
surrounding the "Ida" (Darwinius) fossil. The first two OED3 cites
are:

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1851 C. LYELL Elem. Geol. xvii. 220 A break in the chain implying no
doubt many missing links in the series of geological monuments which
we may some day be able to supply.
---
1864 T. H. HUXLEY Further Remarks Human Remains Neanderthal in Nat.
Hist. Rev. (Electronic ed.), It by no means follows that he should
have supposed the philosopher to be the ‘missing link’.
---

In my latest Word Routes column, I flesh out the early history of the
term a bit more:

http://www.visualthesaurus.com/cm/wordroutes/1871/

Here are the two cites I mention in the column, with "the missing
link" (referring to a transition in human evolution) antedating the
1864 Huxley cite:

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1862 _Caledonian Mercury_ (Edinburgh) 11 Jan. 7/6 Until the existence
of some animal was discovered which should supply the missing link
between man and the gorilla, there was a great gap even in Mr Darwin's
theory of the origin of species.
---
1862 _Times_ (London) 7 Oct. 8/6 It is conceivable, though improbable
in the highest degree, that scientific research may discover what has
been presumptuously called "the missing link" between the human
skeleton and the skeleton of the highest class of apes; but what will
have been gained by such a revelation?
---


--Ben Zimmer

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