24 THE DESCENT OF THE PRIMATES 



extent correlated, as Flower reminds us,^ with 

 the absolute bulk of the body. 



And as to the erect posture, which is gen- 

 erally looked upon as being the monopoly of 

 man, the anthropoid apes having it in only a 

 very imperfect degree, we are in no way obliged 

 to follow the general belief that this has been 

 a comparatively late acquirement of our ances- 

 tors ! Nor that they must needs first have 

 passed through a stage similar to the actual 

 stage of one of our living anthropoid apes.^ The 

 earliest origin of the erect posture may most 

 reasonably be moved backwards in geological 

 time if we are mindful of the following two 

 facts : First, that the occipital foramen of cer- 

 tain American monkeys (Cebid?e and Hapalidae) 

 is placed ever so much more below the skull 

 than is the case in many of the anthropoid 

 apes- We noticed the same in Tarsius and 

 Anaptomorphus. Now, Tarsius is generally found 

 in the erect posture, with which this position 

 of the foramen magnum is undoubtedly corre- 



1 Flower and Lydekker, Mammals, Livin<]f aud Extinct, 

 London, 1892, p. 705. 



2 Cf . Dubois, " Pithecanthropus erectus, eine menschenahn- 

 liehe Uebergangsform." His conclusions Avere discussed and 

 dissented from by me in the Dutcli Review, " De Gids," for 

 April, 1896. 



