Evening star., 1925-04-05

A FULL.CROWN ANTEATER c.
ences in monkeys were as marked
as in man. They learned that in
Nicaragua at least, they are more
so. They discovered that If environ
ment has anything to do with these
differences in human beings. it ap-
parently failed to halt similar differ
ences in monkeys, for all OF the specl-
mems they examined were captured in
precisely the same environment.
But the embryologist of today
claims that man need no longer
travel to monkeyland for proofs of
the history of our evolution. There
he can find the existence of definite
similarities, II is true, but each one of
US, he will tell you, carries around sur
prising evidence of our progression
from something lower to state yet
higher than our present being.
Examine yourself" Is the way DR..
Schultz puts ii. He says man may no
longer laugh at the scientist and
point to the monkeys tail as dis
proof of our relationship to the
simian. Embryology has proved that
every human being. to quote DR..
Schultz, once had a tail At the age
of six weeks the tail of the human
embryo is quite plain, and every once
In while child is actually born
with a tail, some reaching a length
OF six inches.
AS the child progresses toward the
period of birth, he says, usually the
tail gradually moves upward and be-
comes the lower end of the spine
This progression upward continues
even in the human adults. In some
OF the higher apes-the orang-utan
OF Borneo, for instance-this recess
sion of the tail continues to a greater
degree than in man. A normal man
has five cavela verte brae, but an
orang-utan has but three or four
and sometimes only two. Primitive
primates had as many as 25.
Right here II might be we'll to
make clear the scientists real view
as to the relationship between man
and monkey. He does not claim that
we were necessarily once monkeys.
Rather he believes man and monkey
originated from the same stem, the
progeny of common ancestors, and
that the two are certainly cousins ind
the blood. And if you don't like that,
the embryologist offers reasons why
the monkey himself should disdain
relationship with US.
TAKE the seemingly pitiful little
monkey that sits perched on the
squeaky music box of the organ
grinder. AS he hops hopelessly to
the ground and doffs his ludicrous
little red cap in the expectation of
having a penny dropped in it for his
master, he certainly does not look
like anything to be proud of as
relation. But that little fellows
brain is a good deal heavier than
your own, in proportion.
The next time you go out to the
Zoo Park stop in front OF the spider
monkeys cage and notice the size of
his thumb. You will discover that it
is just visible. There is an interest
ing lesson in that condition OF how
Mother Nature takes care of all First,
the scientist declares the common
ancestors Of men and monkeys all
had thumbs.
If you have ever exercised in the
gymnasium you will remember that
one of the first things you were taught
while swinging on the cross-bars
was not to use your thumb. Had you
swung with your thumb gripping the
bars you probably would have broken
1T. Most monkeys, of course, do
lot of such swinging from the
branches of trees, and they learned
long centuries ago not to use their
thumbs.
Since that member was detriment
rather than a help to the monkeys,
nature gradually is eliminating 1t.
Already 1t has almost entirely disap-
peared from the spider monkey and
you will notice that the thumb of
the orang-utan, which occupies the
same cage here at the Washington
Geological Park. is scarcely more than
a knob. In many other monkeys,
mostly the species that keep to the
treetops, the extremely diminutive
thumb also is quite noticeable. So,
If you are going to climb a tree, take
a tip from the monkeys-don't use
your thumb.
Now-"Examine yourself"
Have you wisdom teeth? II so, the
anthropologist will tell you. that is
a reminder of your primitive past.
In other words, to be frank. you
simply do not represent as perfect
q speciman Of progress as the per-
son who never grows wisdom teeth.
Those big masticators were once USE
full to man because he had to chew
much coarser food. They are gradual
1y disappearing now, however, as
result of our more tender diets. II
is believed that future generations
will probably have even fewer
teeth.
Mans more prominent chin is held
to be a result of a gradual recession
OF his teeth. Look at an elderly per-