Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-12-01
Other Missing Links.

Other Missing Links.
This skull of Pithecanthropus is ranked
as about intermediate between that of the
chimpanzee and that of man. Near it's cast,
in the collection, are those of the most ape
like of human skulls known to science. Two
are reproductions of the skulls of the Man
of Spy" forming the nearest links to Pithe-
canthropus in the chain binding chat crea-
ture and man. The originals were found in
a cavern at Spy, Belgium in 1886 The next
most apelike skull is that OF "Neanderthal
Man" The cast in DR.. Hrdlicka's collection
is from the original found in a cave in the
Neander valley. near Dusseldorf in 1856
Some anthropologists have expressed doubt
as to the ancient character of this skull.
while others have denied that it was that
of normal human being of its period. De-
fornity has occasionally reproduced very
similar skulls in modern times. However, at
the time of its discovery Ii was considered
less human and more apelike than any
other known skull.
The links connecting this chain with pre-
historic man as finally evolved are, notably,
the Man of Brux," the Man of Podbaba'
and the Man Of Cannstatt." The skull Of
the first was found in Brux, Bohemia. IN
1871 together with an AK which seemed to
belong to a later date. There has been
some question as to this skulls antiquity.
The second was found at Podbaba, in the
neighborhood of Prague, by workingmen no
SAID tnat they aug II from ABOUT Two ydfuS
below the loan. AS there was no scientist
present to note the geologic layer in which
1t found there has been some doubt
as to it's antiquity. The third skull men
toned was found at Canstatt, near Stuff
CART. Wurtemberg, in 100, together with
bones of animals belonging to the quarter
nary period of geology, in which man has
generally been supposed 10 have first evolv-
ed from the ape form. This skull remained
in the museum of Stuttgart for more than
a century and a third before it was de-
scribsd. in 1880, and some doubt has there
fore been attached to it's authenticity.
When Man First Came.
BY such finds as these light is thrown
on the problem as to how long ago man
was created, as well as upon other prob
lens of evolution. In their study of the
earth's crust biologists have found that
each layer of the dust of ages has its dis
tinct formation. well as its character
lstic group of fossils. OF course, those
underneath must be older than those
above unless disturbed since they were so
placed by nature. Thus have the layers
of the earth's crust been classified accord
ing to a time scale, denoting successfully
older periods the deeper the earth is dug
into. The two latest great periods are
known as the tertiary and quaternary, the
former being the older. Before DR.. Dubois
dug up his Pithecanthropus in Borneo hu-
chain above given, were found only in the
quaternary, or latest period. In the middle
Of that period occurred the glacial epoch
or great ice age, and naturaliStS have been
in Quandary as to whether man ap-
peared before. during or after that time
Dr.. Dubois. however, found his Pithecan-
thropus in the dust of the tertiary period,
which, as stated. was earlier than the
quaternary.
From these finds 1t would seem that
man first appeared on earth at about the
time of the dawn of the auaternary period
and just before the great ice age. But
when you ask biologists how long ago this
was In years their estimates vary to a
puzzling degree. The great anthropologfst,
DIR. Daniel G. Brinton. said he found that
some placed the time Of this period as
far back as $50 600 years. while others gave
estimates as low as a tenth of that. Omit
ting these extremes and following the aver
age estimates of several careful observers
we may assume 10000 years." said he, as
the minimum time requisite to effect all
of the geologic and physical changes which
have taken place since the deposition Of the
earliest discovered remains of mans In
dustry."
How Intelligence Is Diagnosed.
When determining how low in the scale
of man or how high in the scale of ape a
skull may me, anthropologists do not con-
slider alone the geologic layer in which the
skull is found or the shallowness Of the
brain cavity. Indeed 1t Is not so much a
! question of the height Of the skull as a
whole as 1t is Of the angle of the fore
head, the smoothness of the skull, its
ridges. such as described. the extent of pro-
trusion of the jaws and the relationship of
the size of the skull to the stature of the
whole skeleton, If the latter be found. The
smaller the skull In proportion to stature,
the lower the type OF man. A low forehead
Is now regarded as a mark of inferior type
only when accompanied by small skull
capacity.
There have been numerous accounts of
the finding of the missing link before this
cabled proclamation of Prof. Klaatsch's
discovery of Miss. or Mrs, Pithecanthro-
pus. at Port Darwin. A year or two ago
II was heralded broadly over the earth that
one Van Buren,, a Dutch merchant, had
found in Java "a remarkable ape believed