The 24 February 2026 marks the 155th anniversary of publication of The Decent of Man by Charles Darwin. The book was an immediate sensation. It presents Darwin’s account of how we evolved from primates and expounds his theory of sexual selection, which he believed accounted for human origins and diversity. Professor James Costa and Associate Professor Elizabeth Yale bring Darwin’s Descent to new life in this authoritative annotated edition, shedding light on the cultural context in which the legendary naturalist developed his ideas and exploring how subsequent generations of scientists, scholars, and social reformers adapted them. 

James Costa and Elizabeth Yale will be giving a series of book launch lectures around UK during May and will be speaking on 13 May at 5.30-6.30pm at the Department of Zoology, Main Lecture Theatre, New Museums Site, Downing Street. Booking is recommended: BOOK NOW

A drinks reception will be held afterward until 8.30pm.

James T. Costa is director of the Highlands Biological Station and professor of biology at Western Carolina University. His books include Darwin's Backyard: How Small Experiments Led to a Big Theory and Wallace, Darwin, and the Origin of Species. Elizabeth E. Yale is associate professor in the Department of History and the Center for the Book at the University of Iowa. She is the author of Sociable Knowledge: Natural History and the Nation in Early Modern Britain.

Supported by Cambridge Philosophical Society.