 The explanation of Buffon’s initial 1753 rejection of transformism, and his subsequent development of proto-evolutionary views as the Natural History progressed, has taken many forms (Bowler 2003: chp. 3; Lovejoy 1911 [1959]). The argument of this article is that both Buffon’s initial rejection of transformism, and his subsequent development toward the acceptance of historical species change reflect a coherent and consistent development of his concept of “physical truth” (see above  Section 3.1).  Drawing on his emphasis on serial recurrence as the foundation of physical truth, the species is maintained in time and given its ontological reality by the recurring passing on of the internal mold which shapes the organic molecules into a new organism in time.