186 THE PROBLEM OF EVOLUTION 



oldest existing skulls, which were near that of the 

 Neandertal man in age such as the Krapina 

 skull, etc. were all characterised by having pro 

 nounced superciliary ridges, which scarcely occur 

 at all among the races of men now existing. Also 

 the lower jaw is almost devoid of chin. The chin 

 is very characteristic of mankind, more so perhaps 

 than any other external feature. Dr. Plotz argued 

 from these facts that, from the anatomical point 

 of view, we were not justified in refusing to accept 

 the Pithecanthropus as a missing link. 



I answered these remarks in my closing 

 address. The very early race that inhabited 

 the Neandertal, Krapina, etc., cannot be re 

 garded as a missing link between apes and 

 man, because in all essential points they 

 represent a genuine human type. This race 

 had no particularly close connection with the 

 Pithecanthropus, as the latter belonged to a 

 branch of the family of apes. (See my third 

 lecture, p. 74.) 



The proceedings were interrupted at this stage 

 by the interval of five minutes to which I have 

 referred in my preliminary remarks on the evening 

 discussion, p. 89. 



