WE ARE ALL DESIGNISTS NOW:

Darwin's Pianist Wife Influenced Theories (Jennifer Viegas, 3/03/09, Discovery News)

Charles' appreciation of music began before marriage when, as a Cambridge student, he used to time his walks in order to hear anthems issuing from King's College Chapel.

"This gave me intense pleasure, so that my backbone would sometimes shiver," he later wrote.

The naturalist frequently lamented his own lack of musical skills, which seemed to heighten his admiration of Emma's playing, usually enjoyed while he reclined on a living room sofa. Derry believes such evenings contributed to Darwin's theory of sexual selection.

In "The Descent of Man," Darwin wrote, "I conclude that musical notes and rhythm were first acquired by the male or female progenitors of mankind for the sake of charming the opposite sex."