The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-02-14

| rather fragmentary remains of what
once walked the earth proudly in the
shape or an ape Dr. Dubois has con-
| s,ructed theory of mans descent from
| the monkey tribe that Dr. Haeckel
makes the best use of in his new book.
| Inc thlShbone is the great bone of
| contention. 1t is held up as convincing
proof mat the ape, of whose physical
| framework it formed part, walked on
| MS feet and not on all tours, and must
| therefore be the missing link This is
| the view taken by DR.. Haeckel and en-
| ergetically attacked by others. | will
mention only the arguments pro, and
| leave those con to look after them
| selves.
Everything turns on the question
whether or not the ape whose thigh
bone has been discovered walked erect
or used his hands to help progress. The
consensus of opinion, after careful ex-
animation of the bone, is that he walk
ed upright like man. This was the
period when, according to the evolu-
tionists' arguments. the ape began to
change to the human. The ape learned
to hold his body in an erect attitude,
employing arms for purposes of defense
as well as for other obvious objects.
1t is the possession of the hands
which differentiates man from other
mammalia, which gives him the first
chance of making weapons of attack
and defense, and of ultimately con-
structing machinery to suit his needs:
and, as we should naturally expect. no
sooner did our remote ancestor raise his
BODY from the ground than his brain
began to develop, and his cranial capa-
city enlarge itself out of all proportion
to those lower creatures which had not
succeeded in hitting upon this admira-
No
footed walking.
IT is pointed out by those who side
with Dr. Haeckel that if we are forced
to- give up the idea of separate species
with distinct and miraculous creation
of each, the only other alternative is
the supposition that they have been
produced out of one another in a nat
ural way by transmutation by adapta-
ton and progressive heredity. In that
case it is absurd to separate man and
the other vertebrates, for, he, too. bears
numerous marks of ordinary earthly Or
ign. Comparative anatomy. for in
stance. proves that he is made in the
same mould as other animals; embry-
ology adds its support, showing,
amongst many other facts. that hu-
manity had originally tail.
There are also many human ears
which have what is called "Darwn's
point tine last remnant OF the original
tip of the ear before the inner upper
or hinder rim became doubled up or
folded in. 1t is a feature quite useless.
and absolutely impossible of interpreted
ton, except as the vestige of those pre-
Vious ancestral conditions of pointed
ears which are normal in lower stages.
To all the other facts or suggestions
must be added the record of the rocks.
They are the past history of the world
written in fossil remains. and if miss
ing links are found in Java and else
where they help to support the gem
eral conclusion. AS a matter of fact,
such fossil remains, as have aided the
elucidation of our ancestry are not very
numerous. but scientific men easily get
over this difficulty by reminding us
that. as the anthropoid apes lived in
trees, it is only by rare piece of luck
that their skeletons become embedded
in prehistoric strata. *.- 81 -'''
That is one reason why so much is
being made of DR.. Dubois discovery,
which is set up as material evidence
that settles forever the question of
mans descent from the apes in that it
proves the prehistoric ape to have walk
ed upright like a man.
FRANK GIOIMA.