ADAPTATION FOR THE SPECIES 127 



velops fine colors, ornamental appendages or a capti- 

 vating voice. 



An interesting reversal of this process has taken 

 place in civilized man. His more savage ancestor 

 adorned himself more lavishly than he permitted his 

 mate to do. With the advance of civilization man has 

 undertaken to defend his own mate most valorously. 

 The result is it is safe for her to be beautiful. Under 

 these circumstances, however, it is more necessary to 

 her welfare that her consort be vigorous rather than 

 that he be handome. Hence in the human species 

 beauty has become the prerogative of the woman, and 

 this is increasingly the case the higher the civilization. 

 Whether woman suffrage and self-support will reverse 

 this process remains to be seen. There are indications 

 that point that way. 



There are many biologists who are at present ex- 

 pressing serious doubt as to the validity of sexual se- 

 lection. As in the previous cases of protective colora- 

 tion, I believe it will be wise for us to retain, even 

 though with an interrogation point behind it, the idea 

 of sexual selection until such time as those who ob- 

 ject to it have furnished us with another theory which 

 will more nearly account for the observed facts. 

 While entirely conscious of the possibility that there 

 is a weak spot in the theory, we will still tentatively 

 hold to sexual selection. The fact that beauty in 



