Abstract
Darwin published The Descent of Man, and Selection in Relation to Sex in 1871 as a major contribution to the Victorian debate over the evolutionary origins of humankind. Much of that debate began after publication of Darwin’s Origin of Species in 1859. Yet Darwin had deliberately excluded human beings from the Origin. The Descent of Man includes his longstanding research into the animal origins of human characteristics and several important new theories, including sexual selection. The theory of sexual selection lay at the heart of his proposed explanation of the diversification of human races. His reasons for publication are explored and the book is placed in contemporary nineteenth century social context.
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Notes
- 1.
- 2.
Two websites are valuable resources: Darwin Correspondence Project: http://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/ and The Complete Work of Charles Darwin Online: http://darwin-online.org.uk/
- 3.
Darwin to A. R. Wallace, 27 March [1869], Darwin Correspondence Project, letter no DCP-LETT-6684.
- 4.
Darwin to A. R. Wallace, 28 [May 1864], Darwin Correspondence Project, letter no. DCP-LETT-4510.
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Browne, J. (2022). The Historical Background to Darwin’s Descent of Man. In: Bertranpetit, J., Peretó, J. (eds) Illuminating Human Evolution: 150 Years after Darwin. Evolutionary Studies. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-3246-5_2
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