Diversions of a NaturalistLankester, E. Ray (Edwin Ray), Sir
History
Diversions of a Naturalist
Lankester, E. Ray (Edwin Ray), Sir
Natural history
Huxley (supported by many other anatomists) also showed conclusively
that the little lobe in the interior of the brain called the
"hippocampus minor" is present in the apes as in man, and that the
posterior part of the greater brain, or "cerebrum," does overlap the
"cerebellum" in apes and many monkeys to an even greater extent than
it does in man. Owen's statements on this matter appear to have been
due to his reliance on specimens of apes' brains removed from the
skull and badly preserved in spirit--in which condition the parts in
question had slipped out of their natural position. Owen's statements
were thus fully demonstrated to be contrary to the fact, and Huxley
declared, and conclusively showed, that so far from being entitled, on
anatomical grounds, to a separate sub-class, man differs less from the
higher apes--the four animals known as the gorilla, the chimpanzee,
the orang-utan, and the gibbon--than does any one of these differ from
the lower monkeys. Huxley came, therefore, to the conclusion that man
could not logically be dissociated from the apes and monkeys in the
way proposed by Owen, and that he should be placed with them in one
"order," to which the name "Primates" (pronounced as three syllables,
and having no reference to the clergy of the Anglican Church) is
applied. This name was given by the great naturalist Linnæus, one
hundred and fifty years ago, to the same group, in which, however, he
erroneously included also the bats.
It was distinctly pointed out by Huxley, and has been maintained by all
those who have since occupied themselves with the matter, that there
are certain very obvious differences between man and the highest ape,
or that which comes nearest to him in the largest number of important
features--the gorilla. The chimpanzee is practically, for the purpose
of such a comparison, very nearly identical with the gorilla. Both are
inhabitants of tropical Africa, whilst the next nearest, the orang
and the gibbons, are inhabitants of tropical Asia. The differences
separating man from these near kindred animals are differences of the
size and proportion of structures present in them all, and are not due
to the existence in man of actual parts or structures which are present
in him and not present in these apes. Man has developed from the ape,
not by the production of any new organ or part, but by the definite
modification of parts already present in the apes. Even that obscure
internal worm-like outgrowth of the intestine, called the "vermiform
appendix," which has become so unhappily familiar to the general public
of late years on account of its frequent ulceration and the consequent
danger to life, is present in full size in those higher apes which I
have cited by name, and is present in them and man alone amongst all
the varied members of the class of mammals until we come to the little
Australian beaver-like "wombat," which has a vermiform appendix or
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account