The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-06-03
Darwin In a Nutshell.

Darwin In a Nutshell.
MAN and His Ancestor is a small took
by Charles Morris, giving in a somewhat
condensed and very interesting form, the
Darwinian theory of evolution, together
with some significant facts which have
been discovered since Darwin's time, and
certain lines of evidence not presented by
him. 1t is one OF the best bits of work in
the line of popular science which can be
found in recent literature.
The first chapter is a very brief discus
sion of evolution versus creation, and in it
will be found the information that it has
been recently discovered that the opening
chapters of Genesis are restatement OF
Babylonian cosmogony as given in an epic
poem considerably older than the Bible.
This would make them, considered as his
tory, of about the same value as Homer.
The vestiges Of mans ancestry are dealt
with in the next chapter, and the author
adduces the vermiform appendix, the
pineal gland, the thyroid and thymus
glands. and the peculiar valvular arrange
ment Of the veins in mans body as proofs
that man himself is sort of fossil bed,
containing positive proofs OF his descent
from the lower animals. The valves in
the veins are especially interesting in this
connection. These are intended to permit
the free upward flow OF blood toward the
heart, and resist its descent, thus aiding
its return from the extremities. 1t is ex-
planned that this rule holds good through
out the quadrupeds; that the vertical veins
possess valves, while the horizontal ones do
not, as, of course, they would be useless.
But in the human body the valves occur
in the horizontal and not in the vertical
veins; that Is, they exist where they are
useless and are absent where they would
be useful. The inference is that man was
descended from a quadruped, and that
while most OF his characteristics were
modified to suit his upright position, he
still retained this popularity Of the four
footed mammal, since it did not hinder
his development enough to make much
difference. In certain veins. however, the
absence Of these valves does cause dis.
ease.
The fossil relics of ancient man then re-
ceive attention, and the argument that the
absence of the missing link" proves OAR
wins theory false is disposed OF. The
author explains that the number Of fossils
already found Is but a small percentage
of the number of species which are sup
posed to have existed upon earth at diff
ferent times. and, moreover, that the re-
gions in which man probably was evolved
from the anthrOpOidal ape were net favor
able to the preservation OF fossil forms.
The develop meut of intelligence, the
change from the quadruped to the biped,
and the origin Of language, are then taken
up in turn. Each of these chapters Is
full Of interesting information and specu-
lation, and as one reads the theories
which have been evolved to account for
this. that, and the other fact in the
growth OF human intelligence, the his
tory of primitive man and anthropoidal
ape, as the imaginative, intuitive and re-
Elective power OF the scientific mind has
constructed it with the few known facts
as bases. the conviction must slowly force
itself on the unprejudiced mind that here |
Ii the real grandeur and beauty OF the
story OF creation. Besides this wonderful, |
infinitely varied. infinitely patient evolu- |
ton of primitive human intelligence |
through thousands of years, Millions pic |
ture of the Garden of Eden looks like |
Mumbo-Jumbo work. The one is as grand |
as the solar system: the other as petty |
as a childs cardhouse
The author considers the first stages OF |
human evolution to have taken place some |
where in Africa. and he seems to be of the |
opinion that the Pygmies. or yellow brown
dwarf tribes found in eastern General AZ
RIGA. are nearest to the original type. The
true negro is not Of these tribes. Mr..
Morris thinks that most of the negro tribes
migrated 10 Africa from lnQla, at a n!ucn
later date than that OF the Pygmy evolu-
ton. and that their racial characteristics
were formed by climatic and other infiu-
ences. He regards the Monaghan as an
other branch. differentiated from the orig
inal Pygmy type and migrating eastward |
to be still further modified by the climate
Of northern and eastern Asia. He then
explains. in the next chapter the evolu-
ton OF the European type. The tribes
which went northward. and settled in
Europe. were cut off by the Mediterranean
on the south and mountains on the east !
from escape when the great glacial move
ment began. They were thus obliged to
defend themselves as best they might
against the constant and steadily increas-
ing cold. Their diet changed with the
and they put on clothes and lived
in caves. Increased activity, forced upon
them by the needs of their existence, be-
sat increased intelligence, and the result
was the European of today. Warfare also
played Its part in the development of hu-
man intelligence. The last chapters are
devoted to THE Evolution Of Morality
and MANS Relation 10 the Spiritual"
and the author closes with the hint that
mans relation to the spiritual world, and
psychological investigation generally, pre-
sent problem even greater and more in
-eresting than that involved in the study
If the ancestor OF the human race. New
York: The Macmillan Company