The Descent of Man

come into action through the more powerful
and leading men preferring certain women to
others. Thus the differences between the tribes,
at first very slight, would gradually and inevitably
be more or less increased.
With animals in a state of nature, many characters
proper to the males, such as size, strength,
special weapons, courage and pugnacity, have
been acquired through the law of battle. The
semi-human progenitors of man, like their
allies the Quadrumana, will almost certainly
have been thus modified; and, as savages still
fight for the possession of their women, a similar
process of selection has probably gone on in
a greater or less degree to the present day. Other
characters proper to the males of the lower
animals, such as bright colours and various
ornaments, have been acquired by the more
attractive males having been preferred by the
females. There are, however, exceptional cases
in which the males are the selectors, instead of