THE DESCENT OF MAN 57 



as they have to do the preliminary work which 

 serves as the basis of intellectual activity, properly 

 so called. We may therefore say that all bodily 

 differences between man and beast are ultimately a 

 result, or rather a function, of the mental difference 

 between them. 



The lecturer made use of a diagram, placed at his dis- 

 posal by Professor Plate of the Agricultural College, to draw 

 attention to the characteristics of the anthropoid apes 

 (chimpanzee and gorilla), their prominent jaws and the 

 extraordinary development of their arms. 



A few lantern slides brought out the points of difference 

 between a human skeleton and that of one of the higher 

 apes: the much longer extremities of the ape his foot, 

 which is really a hand, and does not resemble a human foot. 

 The human skull showed much greater development in the 

 region of the brain. Ranke is quite right in describing man 

 as a brain-animal, as in a human skull the part containing 

 the brain has a much greater capacity than all the other 

 parts of the head. The lecturer displayed the skull of an 

 orang-outang by way of contrast. The face is enormous, 

 but the cranium is comparatively very small. The powerful 

 jaw with its huge teeth reveals the animal nature, and it is 

 obvious that in this case a mere struggle for existence is the 

 chief object. 



The lecturer continued : 



In showing you these diagrams my intention was 

 to draw your attention to a few salient points of 

 difference between the human skeleton and that of 

 an ape; they are so great that it is impossible 

 simply to ignore them, and we can bridge over the 

 chasm separating the crania of men and apes 

 respectively, only by making assumptions that are 



