Evolution 



with heavy ridges of bone over the eyes. In shape of head he 

 stands midway between the Javan ape-man and the Australian 

 native, the lowest type existing at the present day. Further 

 ape-like peculiarities are the prominence of the lower part of the 

 face, the very large and massive lower jaw, and the receding chin, 

 shown in Fig. 144. From the skulls which have been found it is 

 possible to form a good idea of the man's appearance, which idea 

 has been expressed by a German sculptor in the bust illustrated 

 in Fig. 145. 



One may be permitted to hazard a guess at the cause of the 

 process " running to brain," which is the main feature of the 

 last phases of man's Evolution. The most probable theory seems 

 to be that man came into existence owing to the disappearance 

 of forest over an area inhabited by some high anthropoid ape. 

 Ill-adapted as this ape would certainly be for a life on the plains, 

 it was saved from extinction only by its high intelligence. And 

 as cunning and reason would now, in the new environment, be 

 the most important assets, the process of natural selection made for 

 progress chiefly in respect of these characters. 



The faculty of articulate speech, which we must regard as 

 an accidental result of the great brain development, has given the 

 human species that great advantage which it possesses over all 

 other animals of being able to accumulate knowledge and experi- 

 ence from generation to generation. It is this mass of experience, 

 which is not inherent in man's nature, but has to be impressed 

 afresh on each successive generation, which accounts for man's 

 unique position in the animal world. But it is no part of the 

 scheme of this book to deal with the evolution of language or 

 invention or culture, and we must conclude. 



Mankind are divisible into many types and races, some of 

 which, like the Australian aborigines and the Veddas of Ceylon, 

 are relatively primitive, others like the Germanic races being 

 undoubtedly high in the series. None of the differences are 

 sufficient, however, to make it necessary to regard mankind except 

 as members of a single species. The lower races have from time 



to time disappeared before the higher, and the process continues 



152 



