THE EVOLUTION OF ANIMAL LIFE 



stoopine; posture and short, muscular arms and legs. The characteristics of 

 the skulls indicate somewhat ape-like facial features, with beetling brow, 

 prognathous mouth, and receding forehead and chin. The paleo- 

 anthropological evidence is still too scanty to permit a clear statement of 

 the antiquity of the generalized Neanderthaloids, or of their relationship 

 to modern man. However, some authorities incline to the belief, at least 

 provisionally, that thev date from the Middle Pleistocene in Europe. There 

 appears to be nothing in the characteristics of the generalized Neanderthaloids 

 to argue strongly against including them, with modern man, in the species 

 Homo sapiens. The true or classical Homo neanderthalensis appears, on the other 

 hand, to represent a relatively small and isolated group which originated 

 from this generalized stock just prior to the onset of the fourth Pleis- 

 tocene glaciation, about 125,000 b.c, and became extinct before its close 

 at about 15,000 b.c. 



The earliest undoubted members of our own species, known as the men of 

 Cro-Magnon, supplanted the earlier Neanderthaloids in Europe in post- 

 glacial times. They were tall, erect, and evidently fine physical specimens 

 and were probably relatively intelligent. The caves which they occupied 

 for long periods, or which they may have used for ceremonial purposes, show a 

 varietv of surprisingly artistic and realistic paintings and carvings of 

 men and animals (Fig. 20.10). From these cave paintings alone it would be 

 possible to draw up lists of the larger animals contemporaneous with Cro- 

 Magnon man in Europe; many of these animals have since become extinct or 



Fig. 20.10. Specimens of cave art from the cavern of Les Combarelles, France. Discovered 

 in 1901, these surprisingly realistic carvings and paintings date from late in the Old Stone 

 Age, about 20-25,000 b.c. In addition to the horses (of which three kinds can be recognized 

 in the cave), such other forms as cave bears, reindeer, ibexes, and mammoths are shown, all of 

 which are now extinct or no longer occur in this part of Europe. (Redrawn from H. Breuil, 

 1926, Natural History, vol. 26, printed by permission.) 



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