The Descent of Man and Selection in Relation to Sex, Vol. IDarwin, Charles
Science
The Descent of Man and Selection in Relation to Sex, Vol. I
Darwin, Charles
Evolution (Biology); Human beings -- Origin; Sex differences; Sexual dimorphism (Animals); Sexual selection in animals
_The Bodily Structure of Man._—It is notorious that man is constructed
on the same general type or model with other mammals. All the bones in
his skeleton can be compared with corresponding bones in a monkey, bat,
or seal. So it is with his muscles, nerves, blood-vessels and internal
viscera. The brain, the most important of all the organs, follows the
same law, as shewn by Huxley and other anatomists. Bischoff,[3] who is a
hostile witness, admits that every chief fissure and fold in the brain
of man has its analogy in that of the orang; but he adds that at no
period of development do their brains perfectly agree; nor could this be
expected, for otherwise their mental powers would have been the same.
Vulpian[4] remarks: “Les différences réelles qui existent entre
l’encéphale de l’homme et celui des singes supérieurs, sont bien
minimes. Il ne faut pas se faire d’illusions à cet égard. L’homme est
bien plus près des singes anthropomorphes par les caractères anatomiques
de son cerveau que ceux-ci ne le sont non-seulement des autres
mammifères, mais mêmes de certains quadrumanes, des guenons et des
macaques.” But it would be superfluous here to give further details on
the correspondence between man and the higher mammals in the structure
of the brain and all other parts of the body.
It may, however, be worth while to specify a few points, not directly or
obviously connected with structure, by which this correspondence or
relationship is well shewn.
Man is liable to receive from the lower animals, and to communicate to
them, certain diseases as hydrophobia, variola, the glanders, &c.; and
this fact proves the close similarity of their tissues and blood, both
in minute structure and composition, far more plainly than does their
comparison under the best microscope, or by the aid of the best chemical
analysis. Monkeys are liable to many of the same non-contagious diseases
as we are; thus Rengger,[5] who carefully observed for a long time the
_Cebus Azaræ_ in its native land, found it liable to catarrh, with the
usual symptoms, and which when often recurrent led to consumption.
These monkeys suffered also from apoplexy, inflammation of the bowels,
and cataract in the eye. The younger ones when shedding their milk-teeth
often died from fever. Medicines produced the same effect on them as on
us. Many kinds of monkeys have a strong taste for tea, coffee, and
spirituous liquors: they will also, as I have myself seen, smoke tobacco
with pleasure. Brehm asserts that the natives of north-eastern Africa
catch the wild baboons by exposing vessels with strong beer, by which
they are made drunk. He has seen some of these animals, which he kept in
confinement, in this state; and he gives a laughable account of their
behaviour and strange grimaces. On the following morning they were very
cross and dismal; they held their aching heads with both hands and wore
a most pitiable expression: when beer or wine was offered them, they
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