Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-01-05

existed a genus ape to which the chimpan-
zee belonged. 1t Is very possible that man
was evolved from his stock. Although
mans nearest relatives now living are the
African chimpanzee and gorilla, that old
ape of India was probably nearer the Nne Of
our ancestry than any of the African Soc
cies. The latter were, In geologic sense,
probably late corners into Africa. 1t would
be useless to seek pithecanthropus in Eu-
rope Moreover. there was never a tribe IF
such creatures in America. Man had per-
fectively developed before he came to this
continent The first man in America vas
not very different from man as found here
today. In the course Of time everything
varies, and man has undoubtedly varied in
color and physique from his ancestral par
ents who came to America. The FIRST man
to reach our shores from Asia arrived ten
or twenty thousand years ago, roughly
guessing
No Live Ones In Existence.
'Is it not barely possible that live pithe-
canthropus may some time be found upon
earth?"
mo. The evolution from ape to man is
not now in progress, as it used to be. The
struggle for existence has crowded out all
intermediate links between ape AID man.
The pithecanthropus which originally occu-
PED the same ground with eaiiy man uil
not have the intelligence to successfully
compete with him in the struggle for exist
ence. But the ape proper continued TO live
in the regions hostile to man. Had they
occupied territory necessary favorab bic
to man they would have long been out of
existence, as hey practically now are, ex-
cept in limited parts of Africa and Bor-
neo."
Suppose the Vanderbilt and Haeckel ex-
petitions were to find live pithecanthro-
pus: how would he 1ook?"
fhat would depend upon the stage Of his
transition. If representing an early stage
ne would be bowlegged and would have
SNORT lower limbs and long upper limbs. If
representing the later stage his legs would
appear straighter and better developed; his
arms almost as short as mans He would
nave considerable hair on his body, and be-
tween 1t would be seen his black skin. His
Uranium or brain cavity would be larger
and deeper than that Of the ape but smaller
and more shallow than that Of man. His
Jaws would be more prominent than those
OF the most savage man, but less so
than those Of the ape, while the size of his
teeth. the gaps between them and the ridges
which hold the jaw muscles to the skull!
would likewise be less than in the ape and
brldgeless and would lie flat on his face
His eyes would roll in large orbits over
each eye he would probably have a promi-
nence from which his low forehead would
shape suddenly backward to form the be-
ginning of a shallow Scmicirce''
DO you anticipate that these pithecan-
thropus hunters in Java will be success
ful?"
IF there could be found in Java few
remains such Dubois seems to have
found there should be more in the neighbor-
mood The difficulty is that in these tropical
regions animal remains soon disappear and
1t Is only under exceptional conditions that
they are preserved. Yet there are in exist
ence fossil skeletons millions of years old
II is quite possible that we may vet find
remains representing all of the conditions
intermediate between ape and man. This
may result from systematic search. 1t may
be found that man lived in the time of the
ancient ape whose remains have been found
in India. IT must be remembered that the
chlmpanzee. so nearly related to our ape
ancestors, is still living.
To be convinced that any of the remains
found are those of a genuine pithecanthro-
pus what bones do you want 10 see brought
back by the searchers?"
Especially a good skull--a whole era
mum, II possible. / would like to see the
pelvis also. The more bones the better. of
course. The trouble with the remains found
by Dubois is that they are too few to guide
one to a definite opinion.
other than the Dubois remains there
nave peen none seriously considered as rep
renSentiag pitheconthropus-none which
Sc'ent.!lc men could so consider with much
reason. However remains found in the
Neander valley Of Prussia in 1857 repre-
scented creature with very low brain ca
pacity. Yet 1t might have been either a
savage or a philosopher. In other words
there Is no definite ratio between mere size
or Drain and development of intellect OF
course You wouldn't find great intellectual
deFeLnpment in the microcephalic or small
headed idiot. But normal men with small
heads and brains often have very accurate
and powerful intelects"