CHARACTERISTICS OF MAN. 69 



that it projects much more beyond the forehead; this is seen in Fig. 5. The 

 whole cast of the features is altered at the same time, so that it approaches 

 much more to that of the lower Quadrumana than would be supposed from 

 observation of the young animal only.* This increased projection of the 

 muzzle is an evidence of want of perfect adaptation to the erect posture : 

 whilst the absence of it in Man shows that no other position is natural to him. 

 Supposing that, with a head formed as at present, he were to move on all 

 fours, so that his face would be brought into a plane parallel with the ground, 

 as painful an effort would be required to examine with the eyes an object 

 placed in front of the body, as is now necessary to keep the eyes fixed on 

 the zenith ; the nose would be unable to perceive any other odours than those 

 which proceeded from the earth or from the body itself; and the mouth could 

 not touch the ground without bringing the forehead and chin also into contact 

 with it. The oblique position of the condyles in the Quadrumana enables 

 them, without much difficulty, to adapt the inclination of their heads to the 

 horizontal or to the erect position of the body; but the natural position, in 

 the highest among them, is unquestionably one in which the spinal column is 

 inclined, the body being partially thrown forwards, so as to rest upon the 

 anterior extremities ; and in this position the face is directed forwards without 

 any effort, owing to the mode in which the head is articulated with the spine. 

 53. The vertebral column in Man, though not absolutely straight, has its 

 curves so arranged, that, when the body is in an erect posture, a vertical line 

 from its summit would fall exactly on the centre of its base. It increases 

 considerably in size in the lumbar region, so as to be altogether somewhat 

 pyramidal in form. The lumbar portion, in the Chimpanzee and Orang, is 

 not of the same proportional strength ; and contains but four vertebras instead 

 of five. The processes for the attachment of the muscles of the back to this 

 part, are peculiarly large and strong in Man ; and this arrangement is obviously 

 adapted to overcome the tendency, which the weight of the viscera in front 

 of the column would have, to draw it forwards and downwards. On the 

 other hand, the spinous processes of the cervical and dorsal vertebrae, which 

 are in other Mammalia large and strong, for the attachment of the ligamentum 

 nuchse to support the head, have in Man but little prominence, his head being 

 nearly balanced on the top of the column. The base of the human vertebral 

 column is placed on a sacrum of greater proportional breadth, than that of 

 any other animal; this sacrum is fixed between two widely expanded ilia; 

 and the whole pelvis is thus peculiarly broad. In this manner, the femoral 

 articulations are thrown very far apart, so as to give a wide basis of support; 

 and by the oblique direction of the whole pelvis, the weight of the body is 

 transmitted almost vertically, from the top of the sacrum to the upper part of 

 the thigh bones. The pelvis of every other species of the class is very dif- 

 ferently constructed ; as will be seen in the adjoining Figure (6), in which the 

 skeleton of the Orang is placed in proximity with that of Man. It is much 

 longer and narrower, having a far smaller space between the iliac bones and 

 the lowest ribs ; the sacrum is lengthened and reduced in width ; the ala3 of 

 the ilia are much less expanded ; and the whole pelvis is brought nearly into 

 a line with the vertebral column. The position of the human femur, in which 

 it is most securely fixed in its deep acetabulum, is that which it has when 

 supporting the body in the erect attitude. In the Chimpanzee and Orang, its 

 analogous position is at an oblique angle to the long axis of the pelvis, with 

 the body supported obliquely in front of it; in many Mammalia, as in the 



None but young specimens of the Chimpanzee and Orang Outan have ever been 

 brought alive to this country ; and they have never survived the period of their second 

 dentition. 



