Evening star., 1950-04-24
New Evolution Theory
Sees Possibility Of
Improving Apes
Continued From First Page.)

tContlnueo From First Page)
scale was the rabbit. Stood on its
rear legs for lesSthan 20 minutes
1t goes into shock and dies. Still
there is considerable difference
between individual rabbits, indi-
eating that even these lowly crea-
lures have possibilities of develop
ing manward. Much the same is
true of all quadrupeds tested at
the University of Virginia, al
though some have considerably
longer survival times.
No Resistance to Gravity.
Sea animals, such as fish, have
essentially no resistance to gravity
whatsoever since from the be-
ginning of the life of the race
they have been held up by water.
Some birds. notably penguins and
members of the ostrich family
maintain an upright posture all
the time-so much so that pen
gums seen at distance often
are mistaken for men-and the
implication here is that while
brain circulation may have been
improved there has been no room
for brain expansion.
With four-footed animals, DR..
Britton pointed out, blood circu-
lation through the brain is not
much of a problem for nature.
The slight resistance to gravity
necessary was acquired millions of
generations ago and there is al
ways a tendency to leave well
enough alone. Consequently no
new circulatory apparatus has
been evolved. The blood flows
Sluggishly.
Not only has there been no in
crease of the amount of oxygen
to the brain cells but the circula-
tory system functions rather in
adequately as brain drainage
system, with the result that vari-
Gus waste products and poisons
accumulate. Quadrupeds are un-
likely TO have any of the mental
flashes that come from a clear
head with emergency feeding.
With the evolving of the
monkey family, DR.. Britton
pointed out, the way was opened
for "the most important develop
ment in the history of life" Tree
dwelling life forced the differen-
tiation of feet and hands and
quite frequent upright posture in
going from limb to limb. 1t prob
ably was very uncomfortable at
first, but as generation followed
generation the anti-gravity ap-
paratus. present to some extent
IN all mammals, improved.
Adaptability of Brain.
Perhaps the food supply grew
inadequate in the forests. A few
simian species ventured into the
open and found a new world of
abundant food spread before
them. BY standing erect they
could overlook the countryside to
greater distances. Also they could
keep better watch for the num-
erous new enemies which threat
ened them. The longer such a
creature could stand erect the
safer and better fed he became.
A good deal depended on the
adaptability of the brain in the
first place. Some, such as the
ancestors of the great apes, pro-
gressed in an upright posture and
the developments to which it led
only to the point of getting by.
Then natures ancient law of let
ting well enough alone came into
play and progress stopped.
The ancestors of man, perhaps
because they had a rougher time
and at the same time more
adaptable brains, kept progressing
until a status quo was reached,
perhaps a million years ago, and
since then there probably has
been little mental improvement.
. At the University of Virginia
physiology laboratory DR.. Britton
has photographed groups of ami
mails once minute throughout
24-hour day. using infrad-red
light so as not to disturb them in
the dark. He found that some
almost wholly tree-dwelling mon
keys maintained an upright posi-
tion about fourth of the time,
while the gorilla and chimpanzee
stood upright less than half the