The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-12-29
CRADLE IF RACE FOUND IN EUROPE
Dr.. Hrdlicka Disputes Con- tention That Origin Was
 In Asia Or Africa

CINCINNATI, Dec. 2S.-(By Asso- ciated Press. )-Man, although the product of evolution, did not descend directly from the ape of today and had his origin in Europe 100000 years ago instead of Asia. as gener- ally is presumed, pr. Ales Hrdlicka, of the national museum, Washington, D. C., and leading anthropologist, declared before the American Asso- citation for the Advancement of Sci ence in convention here today.
 The relationship of the existent ape to man probably is that of cousin" Dr. Hrdlicka said, the two having sprung from branches of the same family hundreds of thou sands of years ago. If we went far enough back, however, both prob ably would be found to have had their origin in the state of a simple, double molecule," he said.
 The development of the human race, he pictured as similar to that of a tree, of which is the product of a central trunk. Man, he said. might be compared to the top which had grown and developed to the supreme point, while all the branches and offshoot could be considered as the lower animals-all originating from a common source but developing along different lines.
 While some sort of anthropoid or man-like ape probably was the re- cursor of the present human race, Dr. Hrdlicka said, there must have been a transition period during which man existed in various grades down to the lowest animal state. The distance between the lowest form of man and the highest form of ape, however, is too great even to be passed by mu- tation," he declared.
 Europe Is Cradle.
 Three trips to Europe during which he studied the results of exca vations made in central European countries have confirmed him. pr. Hrdlicka said, that district, and not Asia, Africa or other remote points was the cradle of humanity.
 Indisputable traces of men who ex isted almost at the beginning of the "ice period" or 100000 to 500,000 years ago have been found in va rious places in Europe, he declared "and even these are not the first traces of the existence of the human race there. Stone implements of a more primitive type than those used by these people and which apparently were the tools of men of ages be- fore, have been discovered.
 Discovery of the "Piltdown jaw" apparently part of primitive man in England, also indicates that hu mans existed there in some form dur ing the early period of history, he said.
 Declaring that the last several years have witnessed a retrograd movement against those branches of science which deal with human evo- lution-as if it were a horrid some- thing of which we should be ashamed. pr. Hrdlicka said that critics of the theory could find a wealth of evidence to prove the truth of evolution and the beauty and com plexty of the development of man" if they would devote a half hour to study of the question.
 Tt would be sad affair If we should have to take ourselves and some of our more primitive breth- ren as the finished product of Gods diety," he declared. 'It would be al- most a sacrilige. What incentive would there be for betterment if we were to be regarded as completed?" 2"
 Dr. Hrdlicka's address followed discourses of other anthropolig gists in which evolution was a major topic and which the efforts of various en- vironment upon the development of man were discussed.