40 SOCIAL EVOLUTION 



coiirso, is quite absurd, as man could obviously not be 

 descended from a form of life now living. The ape 

 and the monkey family, together with man, are probably 

 descended from some generalized ape-like form long 

 since perished from the earth. They both may have a 

 common ancestor: one is not descended from the other. 



The human species, or Hominidas, is not descended from 

 the Gorilla or the Chimpanzee, but the ''ascent of the 

 HominidoB is in an independent line from some long since 

 extinct generalized form, from which the other branches 

 also spring in independent lines. All have some features 

 in common, while each presents some special characters. 

 The points of resemblance between the Hominidae and 

 the Simiida^ are far more numerous than between the 

 Hominidae and any other group. ' ' - Keane infers from 

 this tliat tlie divergence of the higher groups took place 

 in the sequence indicated in tlie following chissification. 

 For this i-eason the study of man from llie ])liysical side is 

 confined to his relation to the higher apes."- 



It has been customary in modern zoological classifica- 

 tion to detach fi-om tlie ("lass Mammals, the large and 

 dispersed gi-oup oF A])es and IlaU'-Apes (Lemurs), to 

 constitute the indei)endent order of rrimates, so named 

 by Linne. Kecent systematists divide the order into two 

 suborders, LeHiuroidea and Authropoiffea, and subdivide 

 the Anthropoidea, the manlike forms, into five ramilies — • 

 Hapalidcr, Ccbldcc, Ccrcopithecidcc, Him'iidcc, and Ilom- 

 inidce (human species).^ The reasons for asserting that 

 men are ])i-imatcs and are closely related lo the Simiid;r, 

 are, that part for part the skeletons, pelvis, ribs, hands, 

 feet, spinal columns, teeth, and bones of the skull, are 



2Keano, A. IJ.—EtJmoloriij, 1896, p. 10. 



?■ Ibid., p. 20, * Ihiil., p. 17. 



