The Descent of Man and Selection in Relation to Sex

Published in 1871, this treatise applies natural selection to the origin of human beings and then develops a theory of sexual selection. Darwin compares human anatomy, embryos, and rudimentary organs with those of other animals, discusses mental powers, language, and the moral sense, and surveys ornaments, courtship, and combat in insects, birds, and mammals before returning to human races and the inheritance of beauty and hair. The argument is biological and comparative. The book is a scientific work on human descent and mate choice, not a narrative history and not a political programme.

Bound in green cloth with a cover design in black and gold by David Eccles. Pale green endleaves. Black slipcase. Green tinted page top edge. Xl.