364 ORGANIC EVOLUTION CONSIDERED 



It is remarkable that it must be assumed that re- 

 trogression in the animal kingdom has been quite as 

 general as progression. This principle is called in to 

 explain the existence of the various rudimentary or- 

 gans and numerous modifications of organs that exist 

 among animals. By adding and subtracting organs 

 and parts of organs from assumed ideal forms, it 

 becomes easy to derive any known form by the use of 

 the imagination. 



As to the origin of man, he says: "I have ad- 

 vanced the further hypothesis that the Anthropo- 

 morpha (which include man and the anthropoid apes) 

 have been derived directly from the lemurs, without 

 passing through the monkeys proper." * 



" The frequent presence of the tritubercular molar 

 in man suggests the superior claim of the lemurs over 

 the monkeys to the position of ancestor." A great 

 consolation. 



But man " cannot be traced through any existing 

 type of Lemuridse, but through the extinct forms of 

 the Eocene period." He then gives a picture t of 

 the lower jaw of our possible ancestral lemur. It dif- 

 fers much in shape from man's jaw. It contains ten 

 teeth on each side, there being but eight in man. [The 

 teeth, for the most part, look very different from 

 those of man. 



It will be noticed, however, that the author only 

 advances a hypothesis, and- that he does not claim 

 positive knowledge that man was derived from 

 lemurs. 



Concerning man and anthropoid apes he says: 

 " The sole difference between these families is seen 

 in the structure of the posterior foot: the Simiidse 

 having the hallux opposable, while in the Hominidae 



* Page 154. t Page 156. 



