If any organ in the human body could distinguish man as a creature standing apart, and argue that he has not been evolved from ape-like ancestors, that organ should be the brain. But the brain yields surprising evidence of man’s kinship with these creatures. [Fig. 42] is introduced to show the remarkable similarity in the brains of the anthropoid apes and men. The lower four are the brains of apes; the upper one to the right is the brain of a Bushman, and the one at the upper left is the brain of an European. Mark that while the brains of the apes differ from one another, there is also a striking difference between the brain of the savage and that of the civilized man. Observe, too, how wonderfully these ape brains resemble the human brains, not alone in general form, but also in the number and depth of their convolutions. In fact, the brains of man-like apes and men consist of the same parts—the cerebrum, the cerebellum, the corpus callosum, and the hippocampus minor—and in both anthropoid and man the cortex of the brain is folded in essentially the same convolutions.
Fig. 40.—Hair Tracts on Arms of Man and Ape.
If any thoughtful person is still unconvinced of man’s rise from ape-like ancestors, let him compare his mental image of some human beings he has seen with [Fig. 43].
Consul II, a chimpanzee from Borneo, now in England, sits at the table, tucks his napkin under his chin, uses a knife and fork, drinks his tea from a cup, and has excellent table manners. After dinner, he sits back, lights his pipe, and enjoys a smoke. He washes himself with soap and water, dresses himself, shines shoes carefully, and, like a hotel waiter, expects a tip for his service. Another, and far more remarkable anthropoid, is Snooky, the educated chimpanzee who frequently appears in the “movies” in the Chester Comedies. Dressed like a man, this ape smokes a cigar, pretends to read a paper, poses as a chauffeur, rides a tricycle, takes care of children, performs capers with boys, and takes various parts with men and women. So intelligent and humorous is the acting of this chimpanzee, so clever and human-like are its numerous performances, that it is justly advertised as the “humanzee.”
Fig. 41.—The Head of Miss Julia Pastrana.
(From a photograph by Hintze).
In considering the relation between the anthropoid apes and men, we must not suppose that apes or ape-like creatures underwent a sudden transformation into human beings. The highest existing apes represent a development that preceded the appearance of man, some authorities think, by some two or three million years. The difference between these creatures and man is therefore the measure of life’s upward rise by slow steps during that inconceivable time.
Man is related to the apes not alone in the structure of his body and brain, but also in the blood stream that courses through his veins. This has been conclusively proved by the remarkable series of blood tests conducted by Professor G. H. F. Nuttall at Cambridge University. By these tests, it was shown that man and the chimpanzee are blood relations; that the gorilla is a more distant relative, and the orang a relative more distant still. Below the anthropoids, the blood relationship is represented with diminishing force in the baboons and monkeys. These blood tests confirm the conclusions of zoology and prove the truth of evolution.