PLANT AND ANIMAL PROGRESSION §^ 



adaptively. Most of the mammals have gone in for some 

 kind of one-sided specialization, as the grass-feeders like 

 the horse, or the carnivores like the big cats. Primitive mam- 

 mals, such as the monotremes (e.g., the duckbill platypus) 

 and the marsupials (e.g., the kangaroo) are definitely too 

 inferior in their methods of reproduction and have prob- 

 ably overstayed their time on this earth. 



There remains only the primate group, monkeys, great 

 apes, and man. Of course, most of these are in the trees and 

 very thoroughly adapted to such a life. They still have the 

 generalized characters of teeth and limbs and to some ex- 

 tent the correlation between hand and eye; but one would 

 assume that they would have to come down out of the trees 

 to progress to new levels. Perhaps some change in climate 

 which would drive them out of the trees by taking the trees 

 out from under them would be the stimulus needed. Some 

 such event probably happened in man's history long before 

 he became human. There are some ground primates like the 

 baboons that might be in a position for a real advance, but 

 on the whole nothing is promising in the whole primate line 

 below the level of man. 



Man alone, it then appears, is the only organism in a posi- 

 tion to carry evolution forward at this time. If he fails and 

 finally disappears, there would be a very long delay before 

 another reached his level; and it is quite possible, even 

 deemed certain by some, that no other form would arise to 

 replace him in the time that the earth will yet last. The re- 

 sponsibility is great and must be accepted by man con- 

 sciously and with full knowledge of his past evolution and 

 true nature. He cannot assume that all will be well because 

 he is the favored child of a Supreme Creator. 



