1 62 The Descent of Ma n . 



order Anthropomorpha, of the order Quadrnmana, to which 

 all the ape family belong. Man's ancestors, however, 

 branched off from the ancestral line as low down as the 

 lemurs, once prevalent mammalia in North America, but now 

 nearly confined to Madagascar, and which greatly resemble 

 the Condylarthra. From the lemurs we trace the monkeys 

 proper, and then the anthropoid apes, which come nearest 

 to man of all the mammalia. Their vertebrae differ from 

 those of the monkeys, and resemble human vertebrae. In 

 the brain, also, they are nearer the type of man than of the 

 monkey. They have the third convolution of the frontal 

 lobes, which in man is the seat of the power of language, 

 and which is wanting in the monkeys proper. But the 

 difference between these apes and man is considerable, if we 

 leave generalities and confine ourselves to details. They 

 constitute in fact a separate family, the Simiidse, though 

 belonging to the same sub-order. In the sub-order Anthropo- 

 morpha there are but the two families — the anthropoid apes 

 and man. The sole external anatomical difference is the 

 great toe, which in the apes is opposed to the other toes, 

 while in man it is parallel with them. In man the last true 

 molars (wisdom teeth) are protruded after the appearance of 

 the canines. In apes and monkeys the wisdom teeth appear 

 before the canines are fully in place. But remains of a 

 monkey have been discovered in Europe in which it is thought 

 that the wisdom teeth are yet unprotruded, although the 

 canines have reached their full development. This is the 

 Dryopithecus fonta-ni, an ape of about the size of man. 



This, then, is the general view of the later stages of the 

 genealogy of man. Those lines of descent in the Vertebrata 

 carry within themselves the evidence that they have followed 

 definite directions toward mechanical perfection, and attained 

 definite results. We see this in the development of the 

 limbs and of the other organs which tend to enable each 

 group to live in the best possible manner. The Bunotheria, 

 for example, have acquired claws, as a means of defense, 

 and as an aid in climbing. The Rodentia have a different 

 means of defense : they dig holes and thus escape from 

 their pursuers. The bats have developed wings, and fly 

 away. The lowest group, structurally, are the Edentata, 

 whose general habit is to excavate for defense. The hoofed 

 mammalia have developed powers of rapid locomotion, and 

 can run away from their enemies. In the quadrumanous 



