First published in 1871, The Descent of Man extends evolutionary theory to human origins, exploring how natural and sexual selection shape anatomy, behaviour and differences among populations. The text examines the role of mate choice in producing distinctive traits and situates human ancestry within the wider tree of life.

This Penguin Classics edition adds contemporary perspective with a scholarly introduction, chronology and biographical sketches that illuminate names and events referenced in the original work. Editors James Moore and Adrian Desmond offer reassessment of key arguments and historical context.

Valuable for readers interested in the history of science, evolutionary biology and social theory, the work challenges simple explanations and invites careful study of how scientific ideas about race and selection developed.

Edition highlights

• Penguin Classics text with scholarly introduction
• Chronology and biographical notes
• Discussion of sexual selection and human origins

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