THE DESCENT OB ORIGIN OF MAN 93 



Arctic regions. Tlie ancestors of man were, no doubt, in- 

 ferior in intellect, and probably in social disposition, to the 

 lowest existing savages; but it is quite conceivable that they 

 might have existed, or even flourished, if they had advanced 

 in intellect, while gradually dosing their brutelike powers, 

 such as that of climbing trees, etc. But these ancestors 

 would not have been exposed to any special danger, even 

 if far more helpless and defenceless than any existing sav- 

 ages, had they inhabited some warm continent or large isl- 

 and, such as Australia, New Gruinea, or Borneo, which is 

 now the home of the orang. And natural selection arising 

 from the competition of tribe with tribe, in some such large 

 area as one of these, together with the inherited effects of 

 habit, would, under favorable conditions, have sufficed to 

 raise man to his present high position in the organic scale. 



