The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1924-09-04
MISSING LINK"
is CALLED Myth
Professor Says Evolution of
Man Was Gradual
Process.

VI SNOlullOu HIS uOW duNuIlcSQ lar De-
You'd Darwin's conception was the
statement made at the recent Cincin-
natl meeting of the American Associa-
ton for the Advancement Of Science,
by DR.. J. P. McMurrich, the retiring
president. Doctor McMurrich Is pro-
fessor of anatomy in the University of
Toronto and on his return home was
asked by an interviewer to elucidate
in straightforward terms the present
state Of scientific knowledge respecting
this fundamental question of the origin
of man.
The theory of evolution did not
originate with Darwin, Doctor McMur-
rich pointed out. 1t was frequently
expressed even in classical times. Oar
win by his experiments was able to
promulgate a plausible explanation Of
how evolution undoubtedly took place
in organic life
missing Link" Is Myth.
The missing link the stock joke Of
a generation ago, was myth, Doctor
McAIurrich declared. Evolution has
been a gradual process. There are
gaps, ii is true, but that proves moth
ing. Il is like looking at ladder with
some of the rungs missing. There is
enough of the outline to prove it
ladder nevertheless.
Then Professor McMurrich made this
striking statement:
There is a big gap between man
and the ape but less than between
the ape and the monkey. mean that
the difference is less between man and
the highest ape than between the high
est ape and the lowest monkey. I am
speaking anatomically, of course.
But I do not believe that any liv-
ing monkey came into the line Of de-
scent of any living ape or that any liv-
ing ape came into the descent Of man.
think that all of them are offshoots.
'The origin of man goes back beyond
the origin of any ape now living.
1--WE cannot say where man stops
and the ape begins. Evolution being a
gradual process extending over hun
dreds of thousads of years, how can
weF'
Difference in Living Races.
Certain striking anatomical differ
ences even between the races Of pres
ent-day man, were pointed out by Pro-
fessor McMurrich. There Is q distinct
difference in detail of bodily structure
between the Australoid race, the Aus
tralian aborigine and the Caucasian or
white race.
The organs of life Of the Australoid
woman show q decided variation from
those of the white woman. The Austria
loid, in fact, is still very much Of q
mystery human. His origin remains
one Of the interesting problems of the
biologist Much is hoped for from re-
search now being conducted by the
University Of Sydney.
The South African bushman, a ne
groid type, also differs from the eau
casian, anAtomlcally. And there seems
also to be divergences in the case of
the Monaghan, the fourth distinct race
of mankind.
High Spots In Discoveries.
High spots in origin-of-man dlscov-
cry since Darwin's time include the fol-
lowing:
The Java fossils consisting Of skull,
teeth and thigh bone found at Trinil,
Java, in strata which the biologists
say are 100000 years old. They are the
earliest trace so far discovered of man
or sub-man.
The Heidelberg skull or Jaw bone,
said by biologists to be 100000 or ESQ.,
600 years old.
The Piltdown Sussex, England)
skull with near human teeth which the
Heidelberg skull lacked altogether
10000 to 100000 years old.
Many TRACES found n Europe Of the
Neanderthal maH-a quite passable hu-
man being, $4,000 years ago.
Equally frequent traces In Europe Of
the Cro-Magnons OF $4,000 to 10000
years ago-the first true man with hu-
man hand, human brain, able to draw
pictures on the walls Of caves In
France, where survivals Of his race are
still said to persist.
"Skuils Make Good Series"
THE ape skull, the Java skull, the
Piltdown and Heidelberg skulls, the
Neanderthal skull and the skull Of
present-day man make pretty good
SERIES" said Professor McMurrich.
'They fit in pretty well. Not continu-
ously, of course. There are great gaps
not in exactly related progression,
either. But then there were undoubt-
eddy several lines of descent and some
of these skulls have been on collateral
! instead of direct lines.
81 do not think we have by any
means got q direct line of succession,
but all discoveries so far have pointed
in the same direction. You cannot say
that man Is descended from the apes,
but 1 think you can say that men and
the apes have had an evolution along
parallel lines"
Darwin held the theory Of one origi-
nal stock, but scientists now, said Pro-
fessor McMurrich, are gradually COM
ing around to the idea Of several diver
gent lines. Quite possibly in ages gone
by there were different types or races
of men or sub-men living at the same
time.
In fact, 1t is known that Neander-
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