Publisher's Synopsis
The Descent of Man and Selection in Relation to Sex is a scientific book written by Charles Darwin, first published in 1871. It is a sequel to his previous work, On the Origin of Species, and explores the theory of evolution in relation to human beings. The book is divided into two parts, with the first part focusing on the evolution of humans and the second part discussing sexual selection in various species.In the first part, Darwin presents evidence from various fields, including anatomy, embryology, and psychology, to support the idea that humans evolved from other animals. He discusses the similarities between humans and other primates, as well as the differences that have allowed humans to become the dominant species on Earth. Darwin also explores the role of natural selection in shaping human characteristics, such as intelligence and language.The second part of the book focuses on sexual selection, which Darwin believed was a powerful force in driving evolution. He argues that sexual selection can explain many of the differences between males and females in various species, as well as the elaborate courtship behaviors and physical traits that are often seen in males. Darwin also discusses the role of sexual selection in human evolution, including the development of human beauty standards and the evolution of human emotions.Overall, The Descent of Man and Selection in Relation to Sex is a groundbreaking work that helped to establish the theory of evolution as a scientific fact. It remains an important text in the fields of biology and anthropology, and continues to be studied and debated by scientists and scholars around the world.In the discussion on Sexual Selection in my 'Descent of Man, ' no case interested and perplexed me so much as the brightly-coloured hinder ends and adjoining parts of certain monkeys. As these parts are more brightly coloured in one sex than the other, and as they become more brilliant during the season of love, I concluded that the colours had been gained as a sexual attraction.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work
