Anatomy, Comparative; Embryology, Human; Evolution; Human beings -- Origin
The characteristic composition of the vertebrate body develops from
the embryonic structure in the same way in man as in all the other
vertebrates. As all competent experts now admit the monophyletic
origin of the vertebrates on the strength of this significant
agreement, and this "common descent of all the vertebrates from one
original stem-form" is admitted as an historical fact, we have found
the answer to "the question of questions." We may, moreover, point out
that this answer is just as certain and precise in the case of the
origin of man from the mammals. This advanced vertebrate class is also
monophyletic, or has evolved from one common stem-group of lower
vertebrates (reptiles, and, earlier still, amphibia). This follows
from the fact that the mammals are clearly distinguished from the
other classes of the stem, not merely in one striking particular, but
in a whole group of distinctive characters.
It is only in the mammals that we find the skin covered with hair, the
breast-cavity separated from the abdominal cavity by a complete
diaphragm, and the larynx provided with an epiglottis. The mammals
alone have three small auscultory bones in the tympanic cavity--a
feature that is connected with the characteristic modification of
their maxillary joint. Their red blood-cells have no nucleus, whereas
this is retained in all other vertebrates. Finally, it is only in the
mammals that we find the remarkable function of the breast structure
which has given its name to the whole class--the feeding of the young
by the mother's milk. The mammary glands which serve this purpose are
interesting in so many ways that we may devote a few lines to them
here.
As is well known, the lower mammals, especially those which beget a
number of young at a time, have several mammary glands at the breast.
Hedgehogs and sows have five pairs, mice four or five pairs, dogs and
squirrels four pairs, cats and bears three pairs, most of the
ruminants and many of the rodents two pairs, each provided with a teat
or nipple (mastos). In the various genera of the half-apes (lemurs)
the number varies a good deal. On the other hand, the bats and apes,
which only beget one young at a time as a rule, have only one pair of
mammary glands, and these are found at the breast, as in man.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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