48 UNIVERSALITY OF DEGENERATIVE EVOLUTION 



between the metatarsals and phalanges, and fre- 

 quently the last phalange is absent altogether. 



The development of another foot, that of man, 

 adds confirmation to the heading of this chapter. 

 The great toes of man or his immediate ancestors 

 must have been opposable. This may clearly be 

 seen by a careful study of the muscles. We know 

 what a resemblance there is between the muscles 



FIGS. 21 and 22. Skeletons of the feet of the Gorilla and Orang-outang, 

 ca calcaneum; as, astragulus; sc, scaphoid; Ire cw, first cuneiform; 2e /, 

 second cuneiform ; 3e CM, third cuneiform ; c, cuboid ; Af, metatarsals ; phal, 

 phalanges; ph &ndp, distal and terminal joints (after Waterhouse and Hawkins). 

 See Huxley, Man's Place in Nature. 



of the soles of the feet and those of the palmar 

 region. With the exception of man, all mammals 

 which have opposable thumbs, have also opposable 

 great toes. On the other hand, there are various 

 mammals (prehensile marsupials, rodents, bats, mar- 

 mosettes, etc.) which have opposable great toes but 



