The Descent Of Man And Selection In Relation To Sex

Provides information about sex, relationships, and birth control, with an emphasis on informed consent and mutual respect, and discusses such options as parenthood, adoption, and abortion.

In the current resurgence of interest in the biological basis of animal behavior and social organization, the ideas and questions pursued by Charles Darwin remain fresh and insightful. This is especially true of The Descent of Man and Selection in Relation to Sex, Darwin's second most important work. This edition is a facsimile reprint of the first printing of the first edition (1871), not previously available in paperback. The work is divided into two parts. Part One marshals behavioral and morphological evidence to argue that humans evolved from other animals. Darwin shoes that human mental and emotional capacities, far from making human beings unique, are evidence of an animal origin and evolutionary development. Part Two is an extended discussion of the differences between the sexes of many species and how they arose as a result of selection. Here Darwin lays the foundation for much contemporary research by arguing that many characteristics of animals have evolved not in response to the selective pressures exerted by their physical and biological environment, but rather to confer an advantage in sexual competition. These two themes are drawn together in two final chapters on the role of sexual selection in humans. In their Introduction, Professors Bonner and May discuss the place of The Descent in its own time and relation to current work in biology and other disciplines.

The Descent of Man, and Selection in Relation to Sex is a book by Charles Darwin which applies evolutionary theory to human evolution, and details his theory of sexual selection, a form of biological adaptation distinct from, yet interconnected with, natural selection. The book discusses many related issues, including evolutionary psychology, evolutionary ethics, differences between human races, differences between sexes, the dominant role of women in mate choice, and the relevance of the evolutionary theory to society.

"It has often and confidently been asserted, that man's origin can never be known: but ignorance more frequently begets confidence than does knowledge: it is those who know little, and not those who know much, who so positively assert that this or that problem will never be solved by science." -Charles Darwin, The Descent of Man, (1871) The Descent of Man, and Selection in Relation to Sex (1894 edition) with original illustrations by T.W. Wood reveals Charles Darwin's theories of human evolution with particular focus on the argument that sexual competition is the means for natural selection rather than an animal's physical and biological environment. Originally published in 1871, the book was an instant success. It remains a foundation for present-day research as an in-depth exploration noting the differences between the sexes. This book is a must-read for those interested in biology and Darwin's theories of evolution.

Considers aspects of sexual selection in many species, including man, within the context of contemporary evolutionary theory and research. This book is of interest to a variety of professionals, including biologists, anthropologists, and geneticists. It is for courses in vertebrate biology, theory of evolution, genetics, and physical anthropology.

Reprint of the original, first published in 1871. The publishing house Anatiposi publishes historical books as reprints. Due to their age, these books may have missing pages or inferior quality. Our aim is to preserve these books and make them available to the public so that they do not get lost.