The Descent of Man

muscles of the human neck, shoulder, and
chest. He here shews how extremely variable
these muscles are, and how often and how closely
the variations resemble the normal muscles
of the lower animals. He sums up by remarking,
"It will be enough for my purpose if I have
succeeded in shewing the more important
forms which, when occurring as varieties in the
human subject, tend to exhibit in a sufficiently
marked manner what may be considered as
proofs and examples of the Darwinian principle
of reversion, or law of inheritance, in this
department of anatomical science.") It is quite
incredible that a man should through mere accident
abnormally resemble certain apes in no
less than seven of his muscles, if there had been
no genetic connection between them. On the
other hand, if man is descended from some
ape-like creature, no valid reason can be assigned
why certain muscles should not suddenly
reappear after an interval of many thousand
generations, in the same manner as with