Darwin, Charles (1809-1882) The Descent of Man, and Selection in Relation to Sex.
London: John Murray, 1871.
First edition, first issue, two octavo volumes, with "transmitted" the first word on page 297, volume I; errata on verso of title to volume II; tipped in Postcript leaf after page viii of volume II; both with half-titles and illustrations; ads in both volumes sixteen pages and dated January 1871, listing Murray's "Popular Works" in the first volume, and "Standard Works" in the second; bound in publisher's full green cloth, with deep navy blue endleaves; endcaps of both volumes bumped with loss, some foxing, joints weak, 7 1/2 x 4 7/8 in. (2)
It is difficult to overstate the importance of Darwin's contribution, especially in this work. In the Descent of Man, the naturalist uses the word evolution explicitly for the first time. "The homological structure, embryological development, and rudimentary organs of a species, whether it be man or any other animal, to which our attention may be directed, remain to be considered; but these great classes of facts afford, as it appears to me, ample and conclusive evidence in favour of the principle of gradual evolution." Darwin consciously avoided the term in earlier works. It is entirely absent from On the Origin of Species, for example, avoided presumably because he felt it contained connotations of development as a linear and pre-scripted (possibly) divine plan. Preferring to use "descent" as seen here, Darwin aimed to discourage his readers from concluding that his theories regarding the development of life forms by random mutations over time was associated with intentionality, meaningful design or fiat.
