192 CHARLES MIDLO AND HAROLD CUMMINS 



being closest to Old World monkeys in this intermembral 

 comparison. 



Considering next the aggregate asymmetry expressed in the 

 palm and the sole as a whole, the Old World monkeys, New 

 World monkeys and higher primates form, in the order named, 

 a progression of increasing asymmetry. Of the higher pri- 

 mates, orang and man are the least asymmetrical and gorilla 

 the most asymmetrical, chimpanzee and gibbon being inter- 

 mediate between these extremes. 



The relative asymmetry of palm and sole varies widely. 

 In monkeys the palm presents less asymmetry than the sole, 

 and in the higher primates there is a regular sequence of 

 increasing relative asymmetry of the palm. Gibbon is com- 

 parable to the monkeys, having a palmar asymmetry which is 

 only about one-third that of the sole. Orang presents a rela- 

 tive asymmetry twice that of gibbon, though plantar asym- 

 metry remains greater than palmar ; in gorilla palm and sole 

 have equivalent asymmetries, while chimpanzee and man 

 continue the series of increasing relative asymmetry of the 

 palm. 



8. The consideration of affinities among primates is based 

 upon the following premises, (a) The conditioning of specific 

 dermatoglyphic configurations is a by-product rather than an 

 immediate vehicle of the evolutionary process. The features 

 primarily concerned in the evolutionary process are the volar 

 pads and other gross qualities of form and relief of the 

 member. The dermatoglyphic configurations are reflections of 

 particular forms and reliefs of the members in their fetal 

 development, (b) Prominently elevated and circumscribed 

 volar pads are considered primitive; lowering of pads and 

 obliteration of their boundaries indicate modification incident 

 to prehensile use. Whorls and whorl-like patterns are as- 

 sociates of the primitive condition of the pads, while patterns 

 of lesser complexity and open fields accompany states of 

 regression of pads. In terms of pattern intensity, higher 

 values thus indicate primitiveness. (c) Adherence to the basic 

 plan is a mark of primitiveness and degrees of specialization 



