Charles Darwin on Irreducible Complexity
The Origin of Species (PF Collier & Son: 1902 [original, November, 1859]), p. 255If it could be demonstrated that any complex organ existed which could not possibly have been formed by numerous successive slight modifications, my theory would absolutely break down. But I can find out no such case. No doubt many organs exist of which we do not know the transitional grades … We should be extremely cautious in concluding that an organ could not have been formed by transitional gradations of some kind.