The Descent of Man

adduces the naked and unprotected state of the
body, the absence of great teeth or claws for
defence, the small strength and speed of man,
and his slight power of discovering food or of
avoiding danger by smell. To these deficiencies
there might be added one still more serious,
namely, that he cannot climb quickly, and so
escape from enemies. The loss of hair would
not have been a great injury to the inhabitants
of a warm country. For we know that the unclothed
Fuegians can exist under a wretched
climate. When we compare the defenceless state
of man with that of apes, we must remember
that the great canine teeth with which the latter
are provided, are possessed in their full development
by the males alone, and are chiefly
used by them for fighting with their rivals; yet
the females, which are not thus provided, manage
to survive.
In regard to bodily size or strength, we do not
know whether man is descended from some