The Descent of Man Volume 1 Chapter II - On Manner of Development of Man from some Lower Form Part 3

In which the reader is invited to observe the delicate balance of prolificacy and survival among mankind’s rudest tribes, where natural checks such as famine, infanticide, and warfare temper the increase of numbers, whilst the gradual evolution of erect posture and perfected hands reveals the profound interplay of bodily structure and intellectual advancement. Thus, through varied adaptations and the rigours of nature, the early progenitors of man are seen taking tentative steps towards their present erect and dominant condition, guided by the same laws that govern other creatures yet marked by uniquely human faculties.