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on the relations of man to the lower animals-第3部分

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another。And; though these differences and resemblances cannot be
weighed and measured; their value may be readily estimated; the scale
or standard of judgment; touching that value; being afforded and
expressed by the system of classification of animals now current among
zoologists。

A careful study of the resemblances and differences presented by animals
has; in fact; led naturalists to arrange them into groups; or
assemblages; all the members of each group presenting a certain amount
of definable resemblance; and the number of points of similarity being
smaller as the group is larger and 'vice versa'。  Thus; all creatures
which agree only in presenting the few distinctive marks of animality
form the 'Kingdom' ANIMALIA。  The numerous animals which agree only in
possessing the special characters of Vertebrates form one 'Sub…Kingdom'
of this Kingdom。  Then the Sub…kingdom VERTEBRATA is subdivided into
the five 'Classes;' Fishes; Amphibians; Reptiles; Birds; and Mammals;
and these into smaller groups called 'Orders'; these into 'Families'
and 'Genera'; while the last are finally broken up into the smallest
assemblages; which are distinguished by the possession of constant;
not…sexual; characters。  These ultimate groups are Species。

Every year tends to bring about a greater uniformity of opinion
throughout the zoological world as to the limits and characters of
these groups; great and small。  At present; for example; no one has the
least doubt regarding the characters of the classes Mammalia; Aves; or
Reptilia; nor does the question arise whether any thoroughly well…known
animal should be placed in one class or the other。  Again; there is a
very general agreement respecting the characters and limits of the
orders of Mammals; and as to the animals which are structurally
necessitated to take a place in one or another order。

No one doubts; for example; that the Sloth and the Ant…eater; the
Kangaroo and the Opossum; the Tiger and the Badger; the Tapir and the
Rhinoceros; are respectively members of the same orders。  These
successive pairs of animals may; and some do; differ from one another
immensely; in such matters as the proportions and structure of their
limbs; the number of their dorsal and lumbar vertebrae; the adaptation
of their frames to climbing; leaping; or running; the number and form
of their teeth; and the characters of their skulls and of the contained
brain。  But; with all these differences; they are so closely connected
in all the more important and fundamental characters of their
organization; and so distinctly separated by these same characters from
other animals; that zoologists find it necessary to group them together
as members of one order。  And if any new animal were discovered; and
were found to present no greater difference from the Kangaroo and the
Opossum; for example; than these animals do from one another; the
zoologist would not only be logically compelled to rank it in the same
order with these; but he would not think of doing otherwise。

Bearing this obvious course of zoological reasoning in mind; let us
endeavour for a moment to disconnect our thinking selves from the mask
of humanity; let us imagine ourselves scientific Saturnians; if you
will; fairly acquainted with such animals as now inhabit the Earth; and
employed in discussing the relations they bear to a new and singular
'erect and featherless biped;' which some enterprising traveller;
overcoming the difficulties of space and gravitation; has brought from
that distant planet for our inspection; well preserved; may be; in a
cask of rum。  We should all; at once; agree upon placing him among the
mammalian vertebrates; and his lower jaw; his molars; and his brain;
would leave no room for doubting the systematic position of the new
genus among those mammals; whose young are nourished during gestation
by means of a placenta; or what are called the 'placental mammals。'

Further; the most superficial study would at once convince us that;
among the orders of placental mammals; neither the Whales; nor the
hoofed creatures; nor the Sloths and Ant…eaters; nor the carnivorous
Cats; Dogs; and Bears; still less the Rodent Rats and Rabbits; or the
Insectivorous Moles and Hedgehogs; or the Bats; could claim our 'Homo';
as one of themselves。

There would remain then; but one order for comparison; that of the Apes
(using that word in its broadest sense); and the question for
discussion would narrow itself to thisis Man so different from any of
these Apes that he must form an order by himself?  Or does he differ
less from them than they differ from one another; and hence must take
his place in the same order with them?

Being happily free from all real; or imaginary; personal interest in the
results of the inquiry thus set afoot; we should proceed to weigh the
arguments on one side and on the other; with as much judicial calmness
as if the question related to a new Opossum。  We should endeavour to
ascertain; without seeking either to magnify or diminish them; all the
characters by which our new Mammal differed from the Apes; and if we
found that these were of less structural value; than those which
distinguish certain members of the Ape order from others universally
admitted to be of the same order; we should undoubtedly place the newly
discovered tellurian genus with them。

I now proceed to detail the facts which seem to me to leave us no choice
but to adopt the last mentioned course。

It is quite certain that the Ape which most nearly approaches man; in
the totality of its organization; is either the Chimpanzee or the
Gorilla; and as it makes no practical difference; for the purposes of
my present argument; which is selected for comparison; on the one hand;
with Man; and on the other hand; with the rest of the Primates;* I shall
select the latter (so far as its organization is known)as a brute now
so celebrated in prose and verse; that all must have heard of him; and
have formed some conception of his appearance。  I shall take up as many
of the most important points of difference between man and this
remarkable creature; as the space at my disposal will allow me to
discuss; and the necessities of the argument demand; and I shall
inquire into the value and magnitude of these differences; when placed
side by side with those which separate the Gorilla from other animals
of the same order。

    'Footnote' *We are not at present thoroughly acquainted with
    the brain of the Gorilla; and therefore; in discussing
    cerebral characters; I shall take that of the Chimpanzee as
    my highest term among the Apes。

In the general proportions of the body and limbs there is a remarkable
difference between the Gorilla and Man; which at once strikes the eye。
The Gorilla's brain…case is smaller; its trunk larger; its lower limbs
shorter; its upper limbs longer in proportion than those of Man。

I find that the vertebral column of a full…grown Gorilla; in the Museum
of the Royal College of Surgeons; measures 27 inches along its anterior
curvature; from the upper edge of the atlas; or first vertebra of the
neck; to the lower extremity of the sacrum; that the arm; without the
hand; is 31…1/2 inches long; that the leg; without the foot; is 26…1/2
inches long; that the hand is 9…3/4 inches long; the foot 11…1/4 inches
long。

In other words; taking the length of the spinal column as 100; the arm
equals 115; the leg 96; the hand 36; and the foot 41。

In the skeleton of a male Bosjesman; in the same collection; the
proportions; by the same measurement; to the spinal column; taken as
100; arethe arm 78; the leg 110; the hand 26; and the foot 32。  In a
woman of the same race the arm is 83; and the leg 120; the hand and
foot remaining the same。  In a European skeleton I find the arm to be
80; the leg 117; the hand 26; the foot 35。

Thus the leg is not so different as it looks at first sight; in its
proportion to the spine in the Gorilla and in the Manbeing very
slightly shorter than the spine in the former; and between 1/10 and 1/5
longer than the spine in the latter。  The foot is longer and the hand
much longer in the Gorilla; but the great difference is caused by the
arms; which are very much longer than the spine in the Gorilla; very
much shorter than the spine in the Man。

The question now arises how are the other Apes related to the Gorilla in
these respectstaking the length of the spine; measured in the same
way; at 100。  In an adult Chimpanzee; the arm is only 96; the leg 90;
the hand 43; the foot 39so that the hand and the leg depart more from
the human proportion and the arm less; while the foot is about the same
as in the Gorilla。

In the Orang; the arms are very much longer than in the Gorilla (122);
while the legs are shorter (88); the foot is longer than the hand (52
and 48); and both are much longer in proportion to the spine。

In the other man…like Apes again; the Gibbons; these proportions are
still further altered; the length of the arms being to that of the
spinal column as 19 to 11; while the legs are also a third longer than
the spinal column; so as to be longer than in Man; instead of shorter。
The hand is half as long as the spinal column; and the foot; shorter
than the hand; is about 5/11ths of the length of the spinal column。

Thus 'Hylobates' is as much longer in the arms than the Gorilla; as the
Gorilla is longer in the arms than Man; while; on the other hand; it is
as much longer in the legs than the Man; as the Man is longer in the
legs than the Gorilla; so that it contains within itself the extremest
deviations from the average length of both pairs of limbs (See the
illustration on page 196)。

The Mandrill presents a middle condition; the arms and legs being nearly
equal in length; and both being shorter than the spinal column; while
hand and foot have nearly the same proportions to one another and to
the spine; as in Man。

In the Spider monkey ('Ateles') the leg is longer than the spine; and
the arm than the leg; and; finally; in that remarkable Lemurine form;
the Indri ('Lichanotus'); the leg is about as long as the spinal
column; while the arm is not more than 11/18 of its length; the hand
having 
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