Anatomy, Comparative; Embryology, Human; Evolution; Human beings -- Origin
(FIGURE 1.194. Human embryo with its membranes, six weeks old. The
outer envelope of the whole ovum is the chorion, thickly covered with
its branching villi, a product of the serous membrane. The embryo is
enclosed in the delicate amnion-sac. The yelk-sac is reduced to a
small pear-shaped umbilical vesicle; its thin pedicle, the long
vitelline duct, is enclosed in the umbilical cord. In the latter,
behind the vitelline duct, is the much shorter pedicle of the
allantois, the inner lamina of which (the gut-gland layer) forms a
large vesicle in most of the mammals, while the outer lamina is
attached to the inner wall of the outer embryonic coat, and forms the
placenta there. (Half diagrammatic.))
The striking resemblance that persists so long between the embryo of
man and of the higher apes disappears much earlier in the lower apes.
It naturally remains longest in the large anthropomorphic apes
(gorilla, chimpanzee, orang, and gibbon). The physiognomic similarity
of these animals, which we find so great in their earlier years,
lessens with the increase of age. On the other hand, it remains
throughout life in the remarkable long-nosed ape of Borneo (Nasalis
larvatus). Its finely-shaped nose would be regarded with envy by many
a man who has too little of that organ. If we compare the face of the
long-nosed ape with that of abnormally ape-like human beings (such as
the famous Miss Julia Pastrana, Figure 1.185), it will be admitted to
represent a higher stage of development. There are still people among
us who look especially to the face for the "image of God in man." The
long-nosed ape would have more claim to this than some of the
stumpy-nosed human individuals one meets.
This progressive divergence of the human from the animal form, which
is based on the law of the ontogenetic connection between related
forms, is found in the structure of the internal organs as well as in
external form. It is also expressed in the construction of the
envelopes and appendages that we find surrounding the foetus
externally, and that we will now consider more closely. Two of these
appendages--the amnion and the allantois--are only found in the three
higher classes of vertebrates, while the third, the yelk-sac, is found
in most of the vertebrates. This is a circumstance of great
importance, and it gives us valuable data for constructing man's
genealogical tree.
(FIGURE 1.195. Diagram of the embryonic organs of the mammal (foetal
membranes and appendages). (From Turner.) E, M, H outer, middle, and
inner germ layer of the embryonic shield, which is figured in median
longitudinal section, seen from the left. am amnion. AC amniotic
cavity, UV yelk-sac or umbilical vesicle, ALC allantois, al pericoelom
or serocoelom (inter-amniotic cavity), sz serolemma (or serous
membrane), pc prochorion (with villi).)
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