LATER PLIOCENE EPOCH 187 



were about the land (Diprotodon) ; and also animals specialised 

 into one or other of those forms (Phascolomys, Macropus). 

 There were also creatures somewhat of phalanger type, and 

 known as " pouched hons " (Thylacoleo) ; and animals civet- 

 like in outward appearance were roaming about (Dasyurus). 

 But it was in the next Period that Austrahan marsupials 

 reached the climax of their development. 



As anthropoid or man-like apes had emerged in the Miocene, apes 

 it would cause no surprise if proof were found of contemporary and man 

 creatures of still higher type. It is not, of course, supposed 

 that man is descended from gorillas, chimpanzees, or other 

 of the anthropoid apes ; but it is generally thought that man 

 and the anthropoids have come down from a common stock, 

 represented possibly by Propliopithecus of the late Eocene. 

 Some members of the stock had at some time diverged, 

 and resulted in the Miocene as man-hke apes. And it is not 

 unreasonable to suppose that there had been another diver- 

 gence from the stock in the direction of human beings. 

 If such were the case it may fairly be assumed that these 

 more progressive creatures — having possibly developed a 

 taste for meat — had gained greater brain power, and were 

 no longer so intimidated by their surroundings as to pass 

 most of their hves in the trees of the forests. Although at 

 first indifferent pedestrians, such individuals, as their walking 

 habits became confirmed, would tend naturally to assume 

 the erect posture. 



There is, however, no satisfactory evidence of such superior pithec- 

 animals either in OUgocene or Miocene times ; but it is clear anthropus 

 from remains found by Eugene Dubois in 1894 in Java that 

 such were living in the latter part of the Phocene {Pithec- 

 anthropus erectus). These Javan remains are very scanty, 

 consisting only of the upper portion of a skuU, a thigh-bone, 

 and three teeth. These are presumably all rehcs of one in- 

 dividual, that stood probably about five feet in height. 

 The skull has massive ape-hke brow-ridges ; but it must 

 have contained brains larger than those of any anthropoid 

 ape now existing, and, indeed, equal in amount to those 

 of some of the lowest savages of to-day. The thigh-bone 

 cannot be described definitely as that of a human being. 



