100 THE DESCENT OF MAN. 



CHAPTER VI. 



ON" THE AFFINITIES ANJJ GENEALOGY OF MAN. 



Position of man in the animal series The natural .system genea- 

 logicalAdaptive characters of slight value Various 'small 

 points of resemblance between man and the Quadrumana Rank 

 of man in the natural system Birthplace and antiquity of man 

 Absence of fossil connecting links Lower stages in the geneal- 

 ogy of man. as inferred, firstly from his affinities and secondly 

 from his structure Early androgynous condition of the verte- 

 brata Conclusion. 



E VEX if it be granted that the difference between man 

 and his nearest allies is as great in corporeal structure as 

 some naturalists maintain, and although we must grant that 

 the difference between them is immense in mental power, 

 yet the facts given in the earlier chapters appear to declare, 

 in the plainest manner, that man is descended from some 

 lower form, notwithstanding that connecting-links have not 

 hitherto been discovered. 



Man is liable to numerous, slight and diversified varia- 

 tions, which are induced by the same general causes, are 

 governed and transmitted in accordance with the same gen- 

 eral laws as in the lower animals. Man has multiplied so 

 rapidly that he has necessarily been exposed to struggle for 

 existence, and consequently to natural selection. He has 

 given rise to many races, some of which differ so much from 

 each other, that they have often been ranked by naturalists 

 as distinct species. His body is constructed on the same 

 homological plan as that of other mammals. He passes 

 through the same phases of embryological development. 

 He retains many rudimentary and useless structures, which 

 no doubt were once serviceable. Characters occasionally 

 make their reappearance in him, which we have reason to 

 believe were possessed by his early progenitors. If the 

 origin of man had been wholly different from that of all 

 other animals, these various appearances would be mere 

 empty deceptions ; but such an admission is incredible. 

 These appearances, on the other hand, are intelligible, at 



