The Descent of Man, and Selection in Relation to Sex, Volume 2"Darwin states that the main conclusion here arrived at, and now held by many naturalists who are well competent to form a sound judgment, is that man is descended from some less highly organised form. The grounds upon which this conclusion rests will never be shaken, for the close similarity between man and the lower animals in embryonic development, as well as in innumerable points of structure and constitution, both of high and of the most trifling importance, --the rudiments which he retains, and the abnormal reversions to which he is occasionally liable, --are facts which cannot be disputed. They have long been known, but until recently they told us nothing with respect to the origin of man. Now when viewed by the light of our knowledge of the whole organic world, their meaning is unmistakable. The great principle of evolution stands up clear and firm, when these groups of facts are considered in connection with others, such as the mutual affinities of the members of the same group, their geographical distribution in past and present times, and their geological succession. It is incredible that all these facts should speak falsely. He who is not content to look, like a savage, at the phenomena of nature as disconnected, cannot any longer believe that man is the work of a separate act of creation. He will be forced to admit that the close resemblance of the embryo of man to that, for instance, of a dog--the construction of his skull, limbs and whole frame on the same plan with that of other mammals, independently of the uses to which the parts may be put--the occasional reappearance of various structures, for instance of several muscles, which man does not normally possess, but which are common to the Quadrumana--and a crowd of analogous facts--all point in the plainest manner to the conclusion that man is the co-descendant with other mammals of a common progenitor. Darwin further makes his case in each chapter of this book by examining the characteristics of sexual selection characteristics among animals and in humans"--Book. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved). |
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acquired adult male American apes appear Argus pheasant beauty become believe body brain breed breeding-season Brehm bright colours chimpanzee civilised common conspicuous courtship developed differences in colour domestic doubt early elytra extremely fact feathers fighting fishes Fritz Müller genus given habits hair head Hist horns inhabiting inherited insects instance Jerdon kinds larvæ latter Lepidoptera less likewise lower animals Lubbock Malay Archipelago mammæ mammals manner Marsupials mental modified monkeys moult natural selection naturalists negroes nests observed occur ocelli offspring organs ornaments Orthoptera pair peacock period pheasant plumage polygamous possess probably Proc Prof progenitors Quadrumana quadrupeds races reason remarks resemble respect rudiments savages secondary sexual characters seen sexes sexual selection shew shewn social instincts sometimes spots stridulating structure tail tints tion transmitted tribe upper Variation of Animals various Vertebrates Wallace whilst the females wing-feathers wings women young Zoolog