EVOLUTION 243 



in form than were these ancient Caucasians; indeed the fact that the 

 most primitive branch of the species that we know of should be found in 

 a living race rather than an ancient fossil emphasizes again our ignorance 

 of early stages of Homo sapiens development. 



Now, if no material change in the degree of racial differentiation can 

 be observed in the time from the present back to that which immediately 

 follows the disappearance of the Neanderthals, then it can hardly be denied 

 that the development of all the races out of a common stem must have 

 taken a period several times as long as this one. Even the time when the 

 now archaic Australian, chinless and small-skulled, and with beetling 

 brows and protruding face, represented the forefront of sapiens, develop- 

 ment must be relatively remote. (Galley Hill and the other geological 

 hoboes were more advanced than he.) So from this consideration alone, it 

 would appear that Homo sapiens must go back as a distinct species to the 

 middle of the Pleistocene at least, and probably much further. This being 

 so, it is difficult to believe that the Swanscombe skull can have belonged 

 to some other species. And certainly if for these additional reasons the 

 Galley Hill man, who has about the same putative date, can finally be 

 accepted, then the age of Homo sapie?is must be really great indeed. 



>■>><<< 



man's long story * 



LEWIS G. WESTGATE 



We live in a time in which human values, built up slowly through cen- 

 turies with untold sacrifice, are threatened with destruction; when nations 

 at either end of the old world have set out on a career of world conquest 

 with the intention of exploiting and enslaving the conquered peoples, and 

 are pushing that aim with sub-human brutality; when our own country is 

 fighting for its life. It is a time of fear and uncertainty. It is a time of hu- 

 man tragedy, when for millions the future is black indeed. Can science 

 help us to an understanding of what has taken place, or give us a perspec- 

 tive with which to judge the present, or point to any hope for the future? 



We need perspective, the perspective of a long past. Swept along in the 

 rapids of present-day happenings, we are in no position to judge them. 

 We need to stand on the bank, watch the river's rush, get some notion 

 of its whence and whither. It were well to turn to the history, American 

 history, European history of the last six millenniums. We have gone far 



* Reprinted by permission of the Scientific Monthly, American Association for the 

 Advancement of Science. Copyright 1943. 



