Man's Place in Nature, and Other EssaysHuxley, Thomas Henry
Science
Man's Place in Nature, and Other Essays
Huxley, Thomas Henry
Apes; Ethnology; Human beings -- Origin; Indo-Europeans
These circumstances might be adduced against the probability of a
geological antiquity. Nor should we be justified in regarding the
cranial conformation as perhaps representing the most savage primitive
type of the human race, since crania exist among living savages, which,
though not exhibiting such a remarkable conformation of the forehead,
which gives the skull somewhat the aspect of that of the large apes,
still in other respects, as for instance in the greater depth of the
temporal fossæ, the crest-like, prominent temporal ridges, and a
generally less capacious cranial cavity, exhibit an equally low stage of
development. There is no reason for supposing that the deep frontal
hollow is due to any artificial flattening, such as is practised in
various modes by barbarous nations in the Old and New World. The skull
is quite symmetrical, and shows no indication of counter-pressure at the
occiput, whilst, according to Morton, in the Flat-heads of the Columbia,
the frontal and parietal bones are always unsymmetrical. Its
conformation exhibits the sparing development of the anterior part of
the head which has been so often observed in very ancient crania, and
affords one of the most striking proofs of the influence of culture and
civilization on the form of the human skull.
In a subsequent passage, Dr. Schaaffhausen remarks:
"There is no reason whatever for regarding the unusual
development of the frontal sinuses in the remarkable
skull from the Neanderthal as an individual or
pathological deformity; it is unquestionably a typical
race-character, and is physiologically connected with the
uncommon thickness of the other bones of the skeleton,
which exceeds by about one-half the usual proportions.
This expansion of the frontal sinuses, which are
appendages of the air-passages, also indicates an unusual
force and power of endurance in the movements of the
body, as may be concluded from the size of all the ridges
and processes for the attachment of the muscles or bones.
That this conclusion may be drawn from the existence of
large frontal sinuses, and a prominence of the lower
frontal region, is confirmed in many ways by other
observations. By the same characters, according to
Pallas, the wild horse is distinguished from the
domesticated, and, according to Cuvier, the fossil
cave-bear from every recent species of bear, whilst,
according to Roulin, the pig, which has become wild in
America, and regained a resemblance to the wild boar, is
thus distinguished from the same animal in the
domesticated state, as is the chamois from the goat; and,
lastly, the bull-dog, which is characterised by its large
bones and strongly-developed muscles from every other
kind of dog. The estimation of the facial angle, the
determination of which, according to Professor Owen, is
also difficult in the great apes, owing to the very
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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