THE EVOLUTION OF MAN 



variegated group of ruminants/ etc. But this 

 scale is only apparently a historical one. Who- 

 ever were to imagine that man went through all 

 these different stages in succession would not 

 come to any definite result. For instance, if we 

 compare the teeth of a rabbit with those of a 

 monkey, we should have considerable difficulty 

 in accepting the idea that the monkey could be 

 descended from a rabbit. 



It is the same when we compare two styles of 

 architecture. The one is simple and noble and 

 the other a sort of bizarre caricature of the 

 former. We do not take kindly to the idea that 

 the simple style should have developed from the 

 caricature. Just so, the rows of teeth of mon- 

 keys, including those of man, give the impression 

 of a simple temple of noble style, in which every- 

 thing is developed in conformity with a definite 

 and uniform system. But the teeth of a rabbit, 

 of a horse, and even those of a cat, appear to us 

 like a caricatured variation of that simple style, 

 going to excess here, falling short there. 



Of course, the opposite idea that all these other 

 groups of mammals should have developed from 

 monkeys is equally improbable. The simplest 

 historical premises oppose such an idea. Neither 

 do the remains of bones of primitive animals 



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