All over the world everyone knows about such a scientist as Charles Darwin, who lived in the 19th century. It was he who was one of the first to suggest that people descended from monkeys. Consider in detail this issue in the article, as well as the life of a scientist and one of his works: "The origin of man and sexual selection."
Introduction
As a naturalist and traveler, he became famous thanks to his theory of evolution and the idea that humans could have descended from monkeys. At one time, she turned the world around, because for a very long time people were of the opinion that they were created by God, and the Bible was one of the main sources of information.
The scientist had many works on the topic of evolution, supported by his observations. One of the first was a book about his journey on the Beagle (1839) and an essay on the origin of species (1842). Then he appeared many more different articles.
Darwin's next famous work was the book “Changing Animals and Plants at Home,” published in 1868. This work was also devoted to evolution.
The Origin of Species is one of his most famous books, which was published in 1859. The scientist worked on it for a very long time, reinforcing all his theories by observing and studying animals and plants.
And finally, in 1871, another significant work was published entitled "The Origin of Man and Sexual Selection." His other works are known, for example, “Pollination in orchids,” “The effect of cross-pollination and self-pollination in the plant world” (1876).
The book "The origin of man and sexual selection"
In 1871, the famous work of Charles Darwin was published, where he examined the place of man in the world and his evolutionary path. This is one of his most recent books, entitled The Descent of Man, and Selection in Relation to Sex. Here the naturalist again argued that man (Homo sapiens) came from the so-called monkey-like ancestors. But most importantly, he explained the theory of sexual selection.
What does this mean? Sexual selection is a process when members of the same sex compete with each other for subsequent mating with females or males, and subsequently for reproduction. This is the main driving force for evolution.
An example is the direct fight between two males over a female. But also this is confirmed by competition between individuals. So, among birds, males, who have louder beautiful singing or brighter plumage, are often successful among females. In some cases, there are species where the opposite is true. That is, the attention of males is achieved by females. Oddly enough, roughly the same principles apply to people.
The book "The Origin of Man and Sexual Selection" itself consists of several parts, each of which is divided into chapters. Let's consider them in more detail.
The evolution of man
This is the name of the first part of Darwin’s book, The Origin of Man and Sexual Selection. Here, the scientist considers the evolution of the physical and mental characteristics of man. Here it is described that anatomically in animals and humans there are a lot of similarities, and this is especially evident when comparing embryos. The naturalist emphasizes the anatomical similarity, as well as the fact that a person has vestiges (organs that have lost their meaning as a result of evolution, for example, the appendix). This is all cited as an argument in favor of the fact that people have evolved.
Charles Darwin also writes in his book that the psychic properties of man can also progress. The scientist wrote this part based on the work of Francis Galton. He gives as an example certain types of animals with a developed psyche: monkeys and dogs. Comparing them and people, he gave obvious evidence that many feelings, such as affection and love, are more or less identical for everyone.
In another chapter of the first part, Charles Darwin draws a parallel between natural selection and civilized society. That is how the theory came to be, called social Darwinism, according to which the laws of the struggle for existence and natural selection apply to ordinary human society. And also in the next chapter, the scientist wrote about races and why they differ.
Sexual selection
This is the second and third part of Darwin's book. All chapters are devoted to certain types and how they have sexual selection. For example, here are two chapters devoted to insects, four to birds, and also, of course, mammals are considered. It is in these parts that the naturalist writes that in many species, males fight for the attention of females, and females, in turn, choose the most powerful, successful and noticeable partner, which is the engine of evolution.
Darwinism
Unfortunately, contemporaries of Darwin did not always recognize the ideas of his books. The fact is that the scientist had several basic theories. One of them expresses the principle that the fittest survives, and this, in turn, drives evolution. So, the beaks of birds can adapt over time, adapting to different conditions, so that it is easier to get food. Or this theory can explain why all animals evolve in general: the strongest males of the species survive, have success with females, and as a result, their good healthy genes (because strength and good physical data, as a rule, also mean good health) are inherited . This theory of Charles Darwin at one time accepted.
However, he could be skeptical about his idea that females themselves choose males. Nevertheless, it was Charles Darwin who laid the foundation for the whole movement, named Darwinism in his honor. After all, despite everything, the scientist also had many supporters.
Instead of a conclusion
As a naturalist, Charles Darwin put forward many theories in his work. They once turned the world upside down, as many people still looked at reality through the prism of religion. Scientists, religious figures and many other people argued about his writings, but there were also supporters. Charles Darwin's Origin of Man and Sexual Selection has become a very famous book along with Origin of Species. Here the scientist considered issues of evolution, sexual selection, races.