The Descent of Man and Selection in Relation to Sex, Vol. II (1st Edition)Darwin, Charles
Science
The Descent of Man and Selection in Relation to Sex, Vol. II (1st Edition)
Darwin, Charles
Evolution (Biology); Human beings -- Origin; Sex differences; Sexual dimorphism (Animals); Sexual selection in animals
We have seen that man incessantly presents individual differences in all
parts of his body and in his mental faculties. These differences or
variations seem to be induced by the same general causes, and to obey
the same laws as with the lower animals. In both cases similar laws of
inheritance prevail. Man tends to increase at a greater rate than his
means of subsistence; consequently he is occasionally subjected to a
severe struggle for existence, and natural selection will have effected
whatever lies within its scope. A succession of strongly-marked
variations of a similar nature are by no means requisite; slight
fluctuating differences in the individual suffice for the work of
natural selection. We may feel assured that the inherited effects of the
long-continued use or disuse of parts will have done much in the same
direction with natural selection. Modifications formerly of importance,
though no longer of any special use, will be long inherited. When one
part is modified, other parts will change through the principle of
correlation, of which we have instances in many curious cases of
correlated monstrosities. Something may be attributed to the direct and
definite action of the surrounding conditions of life, such as abundant
food, heat, or moisture; and lastly, many characters of slight
physiological importance, some indeed of considerable importance, have
been gained through sexual selection.
No doubt man, as well as every other animal, presents structures, which
as far as we can judge with our little knowledge, are not now of any
service to him, nor have been so during any former period of his
existence, either in relation to his general conditions of life, or of
one sex to the other. Such structures cannot be accounted for by any
form of selection, or by the inherited effects of the use and disuse of
parts. We know, however, that many strange and strongly-marked
peculiarities of structure occasionally appear in our domesticated
productions, and if the unknown causes which produce them were to act
more uniformly, they would probably become common to all the individuals
of the species. We may hope hereafter to understand something about the
causes of such occasional modifications, especially through the study
of monstrosities: hence the labours of experimentalists, such as those
of M. Camille Dareste, are full of promise for the future. In the
greater number of cases we can only say that the cause of each slight
variation and of each monstrosity lies much more in the nature or
constitution of the organism, than in the nature of the surrounding
conditions; though new and changed conditions certainly play an
important part in exciting organic changes of all kinds.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account