On the phenomena of hybridity in the genus HomoBroca, Paul
Science
On the phenomena of hybridity in the genus Homo
Broca, Paul
Hominids -- Hybridization; Miscegenation
But these two fundamental propositions, admitted as axioms, do they
express the truth? Can this triumphant syllogism, of which they are the
premises, stand? Is it true that only animals of the same species can
produce a prolific progeny? Is it true that all human crossings are
eugenesic? To upset the syllogism of the monogenists, and to deprive
their system of any scientific base, it might be sufficient that the
first of the above questions should be answered in the negative.
The system would then become what it was before it came in contact
with science, namely, a belief more or less respectable, founded
upon a sentiment or a dogma. But if the second question were also
negatived, and it could be demonstrated that all human crossings are
not eugenesic, then not merely the syllogism, but the whole doctrine of
the monogenists would crumble to pieces. The doctrine would then not
merely be extra-scientific, but anti-scientific; it being positive that
two groups of animals, so different as to be incapable of fusion by
generation, do not belong to the same species. This is an incontestable
and uncontested truth.
We were thus led to examine successively the two fundamental
propositions serving as a base to the unitarian doctrine, for which
purpose a series of researches were requisite.
We have, in the first place, investigated the results of certain
crossings between animals of incontestably different species, such as
dogs and wolves, goats and sheep, camels and dromedaries, hares and
rabbits, etc.; and we have demonstrated _that these crossings produce
eugenesic mongrels, that is to say, perfectly and indefinitely prolific
between themselves_.
It is thus not true that all animals capable of producing an eugenesic
progeny are of the same species; and even if all human intermixtures
were eugenesic, as is generally believed, we could not infer from this
the unity of the human species. The monogenists are thus deprived of
their principal basis and their sole scientific argument.
It was, however, necessary to inquire, whether this popular axiom,
that all human crossings are eugenesic, was a demonstrated truth or a
lightly accepted hypothesis, without any verification or control? Such
has been the object of our second series of investigations.
We recognised at the outset that the monogenists, considering
their axiom as self-evident, have made no efforts to establish its
correctness, so that, strictly speaking, we might have discarded it.
When, contrary to the opinion of several modern authors, we wished to
establish that there were really eugenesic intermixtures in the human
genus, we found in science assertions without proofs, and we believe
that our investigations concerning the mixed populations of France
have, in this respect, the merit of novelty. We may be mistaken as to
the value of our demonstration; but we venture to assert, that this
demonstration is the first that has been attempted.
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