Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-07-07


is probably right in his contentious, and
that we have here really the missing
link" so patiently awaited by all nat
uralists of the school of Darwin. Pro-
fessor Marsh, as the foremost paleontol-
g.st in the United States, II not In the
world, is certainly entitled to be heard.
Our quotations are from an abstract of
his paper communicated by the author
to Science" May 20. Says the Yale pro-
fessor:
I'm most scientific quarters. however,
both in this country and in Europe, DIR.
Dubois discovery was not received with
great favor, and the facts and the con-
illusions stated in his memoir were much
criticized. The early conclusions seem
to be that the various remains discover
ed were human and of no great age;
that they did not belong to the same in
diviGual; that the skull apparently per-
tanned to an idiot, and that both the
skull and femur showed pathological
features. In fact. the old story of the
distrust aroused by the discovery of the
Neanderthal skull. nearly forty years be-
fore, was repeated in milder form.
ut was a fortunate thing for science
that the Dutch government appreciated
the Importance of the discovery made in
its JaVaneSe province by DR.. Dubois, ana
last summer allowed him to return to
Holland and bring with him the precious
remains he had found and so well de-
scribed. Not only this, but he was also
permitted to bring the extensive coliec-
tions of other vertebrate fossils which he
had secured from the same horizon ana
in the same locality where the Pithecan-
thropus was discovered All these were
shown at the international congress OF
biologists, held at Leyden in September
last and on the 21st OF that month DR..
Dubois read an elaborate paper on his
original discovery and on his later ex-
plorations in the same region"
This paper and the evidence presented
in it are here carefully considered by
Professor Marsh, who also describes
minute personal examination OF the fos-
sis made by himself in company with
Professor Virchow of Berlin and other
eminent experts. Some comparisons be-
tween the remains found by Dubois and
those of man on the one hand and mon
keys on the other are given in annexed
diagrams. To the objection that the
various fossil parts were not even por-
lions of the same creature since they
were not found exactly together, Profess
sor Marsh replies as follows:
THE facts relating to the discovery it
self and the position in which the re-
mains We're found, as stated by Dubois
in his paper, together with some addi-
tional details given to me personally,
convinced me that in all probability the
various remains attributed to Pithecan-
thropuS pertained to one individual. IN
der the circumstances no paleontologist
tebrate fossils would hesitate to place
them together"
In conclusion, the opinions reached by
the great American expert are stated by
him in the following words:
ITO attempt to weigh impartially the
evidence as to the nature of Pithecan-
thropus, presented by Dr. Dubois in his
paper and by those who took part in the
critical discussion that followed it's read
ling, would lead far beyond the limits OF
the present communication. l can only
say that this evidence was strongly In
favor of the view that the skull of Pithe-
canthropus is not human, as the orbital
and nuchal regions show, while at the
same time it indicates an animal much
above any anthropoid ape now known,
living or extinct. Opinions differed as to
whether the various remains pertained to
the same individual, but no one doubted
their Importance.
1.-THE varied opinions expressed in re-
gard to the anatomical characters of each
of the specimens have already been pub
lshed, and need not be repeated here.
DR.. Dubois, in his papers above cited, has
met all the principal objections made to
his views since he announced his discoV-
cry. He has also given tull reference to
the literature, which promises to be
veluminous as the Importance of the sub
ject becomes better known.
after careful study of all the Pithe-
canthropus remains and of the evidence
presented as to the original discovery, the
position in which the remains were
found, and the associa ted fossils my own
conclusions may be briefly stated as fol-
lows:
81. The remains of Pithecanthropus at
present known are of Pliocene age, and
the associated vertebrate fauna resem-
bles that of the Siwalik Hills of India.
go. The various specimens of Pithecan-
thropus apparently belonged to one indi-
vidual
80. This individual was not human, but
represented a form intermediate between
man and the higher apes
"If it be true, as some have contended,
that the different remains had no connec-
ton with each other, this simply proves
that DR.. Dubois. has made several Inn
portant discoveries instead of one. All
the remains are certainly anthropoid, and
IL any of them are human the antiquity of
man extends back into the Tertiary, and
his affinities with the higher apes become
much nearer than has hitherto been sup
posed. One thing Is certain: the discovery
of Pithecanthropus Is an event of the
first Importance to the scientific world.