FOSSIL APES 31 



of an under-jaw and a humerus, apparently that of a 

 young animal, and later on another jaw was discovered 

 near St. Gaudens, and judged by Owen to be indisputably 

 that of a gibbon. The humerus, as well as the teeth, is 

 strikingly human, according to the testimony of most natural- 

 ists; indeed, both in the first place were attributed to man. 

 This Dryopithecus underwent, op the whole, many vicissitudes. 

 At first it was considered the most human of fossil apes, only 

 to be later declared by Gaudry and Zittel as the least human, a 

 conclusion again disputed by Pohlig and Schlosser. 



Here, as usual, the truth is to be found midway between the 

 extremes. Judging from the formation of the teeth and the 

 very slight prognathism, there can be no doubt, says Branco, 



FIG. i. a, Mesopithecus Pentelloi. b, Skull of a gorilla. 

 (Homes, Urg. d. M.) 



that the Dryopithecus in these respects is most closely related 

 to man, but there are other points to take into consideration. 

 In the first place, it has been pointed out that the tongue of the 

 Dryopithecus occupies a much smaller space than is the case 

 with any other anthropoid, but truth compels us to admit that 

 in this respect an approach to the anthropoid type is found 

 among many wild tribes, e.g., the Sambaquis, the Cayapo 

 Indians and the Nago negroes. Gaudry has drawn attention 

 to still another characteristic of the Dryopithecus lower jaw, 

 which detracts from its claim to human resemblance, viz., the 

 retreating chin sloping backwards from above ; Gaudry's in- 

 vestigations have shown also that the wisdom teeth were not, 

 as at first supposed, erupted at a later date than the others, nor 



