The Forrest City times. [volume] (Forrest City, Ark.) 1871-1919, 1901-12-06
PRIMITIVE MAN.
Professor Nirchow skepticaI Abor,
the NeanderthaI skuII-Has nj.
covered Various Deviation

During the recent meeting of III.
congress of anthropologists al NJ
Prof. Nirchow read an imperta],
paper on prehistoric Men and 80
Distinction Between Species and VI
riety." After pointing out that -
kinds of change can be discerued :
the human rganism-namelv. ~
menbach's innate variation. ard
ondly, changes occurring during ia
time-the professor went on to sar.
The artificially caused chance :.
reformation belongs, strictly spaaI.
ing, to the science of patholoo.
There are, however, transitions. a.
it is, therefore, difficult strictly =
distinguish the latter from an inbs,
tied or acquired change The au.,
ton of the descent of man has led.
many controversies about the .Ns..
derthal skull In many quarters !,
has been regarded as the profotrn.
of a supposed original human race
called also 'Adamites.' The ana.
omist, Prof. Schwalbe, of Strasbp~,
has recently reexamiued this sla1
and declared ii TO be that of a nrs'
historic race, which inha bited laroa
portion Of Europe, and was akin n
the present Australian negro
Prof. Nirchow. however. main.
tanned that this hypothesis lacks thu
neces .ary foundation, ana proceeded.
The fact that the skull EXHIBIT.
some peculiar traits which NAV ba
considered, in part, as ind.yidualistic
and partly as pathological forma.
tions, makes the matter very doubt.
full 1t Is, moreover, impossible 70
infer from a single individual what
whole race may have been. Hepoe
the Neanderthal skull, and the frac'
ments Of skeleton belonging 10 i
cannot be accepted as the prototyna
of an original race. The doubt abont
the hypothesis is all the greater as
a 'Neanderthal-like' skull formation
is not infrequently found among
people now living in different conn.
tries. 1t cannot be denied that the
skulls Of the Frisians in northwest.
err Germany and the neighboring
districts of Holland show a certain
similarity TO that of NeandertbaL
This might be taken as a proof in
favor of the hypothesis: but some Of
those peculiar formations-for ex.
ample. the fairness Of the prominent
parietal bone-cannot be looked upon
as normal.
Furthermore, the conclusions
drawn from the examination Of few
skulls are misleading. We must not
be induced TO build up anatomical
arguments for racial differences on
the uncertain basis of the Neander.
thai skull
Prof. Airchow had himself careful.
y examined the NeanderthaI skull.
and discovered various deriations,
which he regarded as showing an ab.
normal development. He argued,
therefore, that the said skull can
hardly be accepted as the type Of
a race. This brought him TO the
principle that "a whole race canno,
Dc reconstructed from single skull.
9Ht only from numerous series of
objects which allow a reconstruction
OF average normal conditions" The
professor then referred to the ex.
PLANTATION recently given by Prof.
Bali regarding the Amos of Japan.
Prof. Bali is of the opiaion that this
race Of hairy men is a scattered rem
nant OF the Caucasian race. and CON-
pares Il with the Russian peasants.
Prof. Nirehow. on the other hand,
maintained that there are marked
differences between the two races,
bat that il is, at any rate. impossible
Tor the present 10 arrive at any def
ntte conclusion as TO the origin OF
The Amos