The Descent of Man, and Selection in Relation to Sex

A brief summary will be sufficient to recall to the reader’s mind the more salient points in this work. Many of the views which have been advanced are highly speculative, and so...

Secondary sexual characters—Sexual selection—Manner of action—Excess of males—Polygamy—The male alone generally modified through sexual selection—Eagerness of the male—Variabili...

The nature and value of specific characters—Application to the races of man—Arguments in favour of, and opposed to, ranking the so-called races of man as distinct species—Sub-sp...

The immature plumage in relation to the character of the plumage in both sexes when adult—Six classes of cases—Sexual differences between the males of closely-allied or represen...

than the external parts: Nulla particula est quae non aliter et aliter in aliis se habeat hominibus. He has even written a treatise on the choice of typical examples of the visc...

Choice exerted by the female—Length of courtship—Unpaired birds—Mental qualities and taste for the beautiful—Preference or antipathy shewn by the female for particular males—Var...

Secondary sexual characters are more diversified and conspicuous in birds, though not perhaps entailing more important changes of structure, than in any other class of animals....

The difference in mental power between the highest ape and the lowest savage, immense—Certain instincts in common—The emotions—Curiosity—Imitation—Attention—Memory— Imagination—...

The moral sense—Fundamental proposition—The qualities of social animals—Origin of sociability—Struggle between opposed instincts—Man a social animal—The more enduring social ins...

Differences between man and woman—Causes of such differences and of certain characters common to both sexes—Law of battle—Differences in mental powers, and voice—On the influenc...

Diversified structures possessed by the males for seizing the females—Differences between the sexes, of which the meaning is not understood—Difference in size between the sexes—...

Voice—Remarkable sexual peculiarities in seals—Odour—Development of the hair—Colour of the hair and skin—Anomalous case of the female being more ornamented than the male—Colour...

The law of battle—Special weapons, confined to the males—Cause of absence of weapons in the female—Weapons common to both sexes, yet primarily acquired by the male—Other uses of...

FISHES: Courtship and battles of the males—Larger size of the females—Males, bright colours and ornamental appendages; other strange characters—Colours and appendages acquired b...

On the effects of the continued selection of women according to a different standard of beauty in each race—On the causes which interfere with sexual selection in civilised and...

Position of man in the animal series—The natural system genealogical—Adaptive characters of slight value—Various small points of resemblance between man and the Quadrumana—Rank...

Nature of the evidence bearing on the origin of man—Homologous structures in man and the lower animals—Miscellaneous points of correspondence—Development—Rudimentary structures,...

Discussion as to why the males alone of some species, and both sexes of others, are brightly coloured—On sexually-limited inheritance, as applied to various structures and to br...

Advancement of the intellectual powers through natural selection—Importance of imitation—Social and moral faculties—Their development within the limits of the same tribe—Natural...

sexes, or more brilliant in the males—Examples—Not due to the direct action of the conditions of life—Colours adapted for protection—Colours of moths—Display—Perceptive powers o...

males of the partridge must be in considerable excess in the south of England; and I have been assured that this is the case in Scotland. Mr. Weir on enquiring from the dealers,...

These characters absent in the lowest classes—Brilliant colours—Mollusca —Annelids—Crustacea, secondary sexual characters strongly developed; dimorphism; colour; characters not...

conceal it by covering it with the upper wing, so that I cannot imagine its being of any other use to them than as an attraction in courtship, when they exhibit it to the female...

The nature of the following work will be best understood by a brief account of how it came to be written. During many years I collected notes on the origin or descent of man, wi...

During the successive reprints of the first edition of this work, published in 1871, I was able to introduce several important corrections; and now that more time has elapsed, I...

Variability of body and mind in man—Inheritance—Causes of variability—Laws of variation the same in man as in the lower animals—Direct action of the conditions of life—Effects o...

SECONDARY SEXUAL CHARACTERS OF FISHES, AMPHIBIANS, AND REPTILES. Fishes: Courtship and battles of the males—Larger size of the females—Males, bright colours and ornamental appen...

ON THE MANNER OF DEVELOPMENT OF MAN FROM SOME LOWER FORM. Variability of body and mind in man—Inheritance—Causes of variability—Laws of variation the same in man as in the lower...

ON THE RACES OF MAN. The nature and value of specific characters—Application to the races of man—Arguments in favour of, and opposed to, ranking the so-called races of man as di...

PRINCIPLES OF SEXUAL SELECTION. Secondary sexual characters—Sexual selection—Manner of action—Excess of males—Polygamy—The male alone generally modified through sexual selection...

INSECTS, continued. ORDER LEPIDOPTERA. (BUTTERFLIES AND MOTHS.) Courtship of Butterflies—Battles—Ticking noise—Colours common to both sexes, or more brilliant in the males—Examp...

SECONDARY SEXUAL CHARACTERS OF MAN, continued. On the effects of the continued selection of women according to a different standard of beauty in each race—On the causes which in...

SECONDARY SEXUAL CHARACTERS OF INSECTS. Diversified structures possessed by the males for seizing the females—Differences between the sexes, of which the meaning is not understo...

BIRDS—concluded. The immature plumage in relation to the character of the plumage in both sexes when adult—Six classes of cases—Sexual differences between the males of closely-a...

COMPARISON OF THE MENTAL POWERS OF MAN AND THE LOWER ANIMALS, continued. The moral sense—Fundamental proposition—The qualities of social animals—Origin of sociability—Struggle b...

SECONDARY SEXUAL CHARACTERS OF MAMMALS, continued. Voice—Remarkable sexual peculiarities in seals—Odour—Development of the hair—Colour of the hair and skin—Anomalous case of the...

ON THE AFFINITIES AND GENEALOGY OF MAN. Position of man in the animal series—The natural system genealogical—Adaptive characters of slight value—Various small points of resembla...

SECONDARY SEXUAL CHARACTERS OF MAMMALS. The law of battle—Special weapons, confined to the males—Cause of absence of weapons in the female—Weapons common to both sexes, yet prim...

SECONDARY SEXUAL CHARACTERS OF MAN. Differences between man and woman—Causes of such differences, and of certain characters common to both sexes—Law of battle—Differences in men...

THE EVIDENCE OF THE DESCENT OF MAN FROM SOME LOWER FORM. Nature of the evidence bearing on the origin of man—Homologous structures in man and the lower animals—Miscellaneous poi...

COMPARISON OF THE MENTAL POWERS OF MAN AND THE LOWER ANIMALS. The difference in mental power between the highest ape and the lowest savage, immense—Certain instincts in common—T...

ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE INTELLECTUAL AND MORAL FACULTIES DURING PRIMEVAL AND CIVILISED TIMES. Advancement of the intellectual powers through natural selection—Importance of im...

BIRDS—continued. Choice exerted by the female—Length of courtship—Unpaired birds—Mental qualities and taste for the beautiful—Preference or antipathy shewn by the female for par...

SECONDARY SEXUAL CHARACTERS IN THE LOWER CLASSES OF THE ANIMAL KINGDOM. These characters are absent in the lowest classes—Brilliant colours—Mollusca—Annelids—Crustacea, secondar...

BIRDS—continued. Discussion as to why the males alone of some species, and both sexes of others are brightly coloured—On sexually-limited inheritance, as applied to various stru...

SECONDARY SEXUAL CHARACTERS OF BIRDS. Sexual differences—Law of battle—Special weapons—Vocal organs—Instrumental music—Love-antics and dances—Decorations, permanent and seasonal...