THE DESCENT OB OBIOIN OF MAN 201 



and more important differences between man and the Quad- 

 rumana are manifestly adaptive in their nature, and relate 

 chiefly to the erect position of man; such as the structure 

 of his hand, foot, and pelvis, the curvature of his spine, and 

 the position of his head. The family of Seals offers a good 

 illustration of the small importance of adaptive characters 

 for classification. These animals differ from all other Car- 

 nivora, in the form of their bodies and in the structure of 

 their limbs, far more than does man from the higher apes ; 

 yet in most systems, from that of Cuvier to the most recent 

 one by Mr. Flower,* seals are ranked as a mere family in the 

 Order of the Carnivora. If man had not been his own clas- 

 sifier, he would never have thought of founding a separate 

 order for his own reception. 



It would be beyond my limits, and quite beyond my 

 knowledge, even to name the innumerable points of struc- 

 ture in which man agrees with the other Primates. Our 

 great anatomist and philosopher, Prof. Huxley, has fully 

 discussed this subject,^ and concludes that man in all parts 

 of his organization differs less from the higher apes than 

 these do from the lower members of the same group. Conse- 

 quently there "is no justification for placing man in a distinct 

 order. ' ' 



In an early part of this work I brought forward various 

 facts, showing how closely man agrees in constitution with 

 the higher mammals; and this agreement must depend on 

 our close similarity in minute structure and chemical com- 

 position. I gave, as instances, our liability to the same dis- 

 eases, and to the attacks of allied parasites; our tastes in 

 common for the same stimulants, and the similar effects 

 produced by them, as well as by various drugs, and other 

 such facts. 



As small unimportant points of resemblance between 

 man and the Quadrumana are not commonly noticed in sys- 



'Proo. Zoolog. Soc," 1863, p. 4. 



'Evidence as to Man's Place in Nature," 1863, p. 10 et passim. 



