48 



DISTINCTIVE CHARACTERISTICS OF MAN. 



ligaments and muscles that support the head, aud which are peculiarly pro- 

 nouuced in the Gorilla (Fig. 7), have comparatively little prominence in 

 Man, 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 propor- 

 tional 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 



Skeleton of Troglodytes Gorilla. 



this manner, the femoral articulations are thrown very for apart, so as to 

 give a wide basis of support and by the oblique direction of the pelvis, the 

 wright of the body is transmitted almost vertically from the top of the sa- 

 crum to the upper part of the thigh bones. The pelvis of the anthropoid 

 Api-s is very differently constructed, as will be seen in the subjoined cuts, in 

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

 It i.s much larger and narrower; its ahe extend upwards rather than out- 

 wards, so that the space between the lowest ribs and the crest of the iliac 



