on some fossil remains of man-第1章

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On　Some　Fossil　Remains　of　Man


by　Thomas　H。　Huxley






I　HAVE　endeavoured　to　show；　in　the　preceding　Essay；　that　the　ANTHROPINI；
or　Man　Family；　form　a　very　well　defined　group　of　the　Primates；　between
which　and　the　immediately　following　Family；　the　CATARHINI；　there　is；　in
the　existing　world；　the　same　entire　absence　of　any　transitional　form　or
connecting　link；　as　between　the　CATARHINI　and　PLATYRHINI。

It　is　a　commonly　received　doctrine；　however；　that　the　structural
intervals　between　the　various　existing　modifications　of　organic　beings
may　be　diminished；　or　even　obliterated；　if　we　take　into　account　the
long　and　varied　succession　of　animals　and　plants　which　have　preceded
those　now　living　and　which　are　known　to　us　only　by　their　fossilized
remains。　　How　far　this　doctrine　is　well　based；　how　far；　on　the　other
hand；　as　our　knowledge　at　present　stands；　it　is　an　overstatement　of　the
real　facts　of　the　case；　and　an　exaggeration　of　the　conclusions　fairly
deducible　from　them；　are　points　of　grave　importance；　but　into　the
discussion　of　which　I　do　not；　at　present；　propose　to　enter。　　It　is
enough　that　such　a　view　of　the　relations　of　extinct　to　living　beings
has　been　propounded；　to　lead　us　to　inquire；　with　anxiety；　how　far　the
recent　discoveries　of　human　remains　in　a　fossil　state　bear　out；　or
oppose；　that　view。

I　shall　confine　myself；　in　discussing　this　question；　to　those
fragmentary　Human　skulls　from　the　caves　of　Engis　in　the　valley　of　the
Meuse；　in　Belgium；　and　of　the　Neanderthal　near　Dusseldorf；　the
geological　relations　of　which　have　been　examined　with　so　much　care　by
Sir　Charles　Lyell；　upon　whose　high　authority　I　shall　take　it　for
granted；　that　the　Engis　skull　belonged　to　a　contemporary　of　the　Mammoth
（'Elephas　primigenius'）　and　of　the　woolly　Rhinoceros　（'Rhinoceros
tichorhinus'）；　with　the　bones　of　which　it　was　found　associated；　and　that
the　Neanderthal　skull　is　of　great；　though　uncertain；　antiquity。
Whatever　be　the　geological　age　of　the　latter　skull；　I　conceive　it　is
quite　safe　（on　the　ordinary　principles　of　paleontological　reasoning）　to
assume　that　the　former　takes　us　to；　at　least；　the　further　side　of　the
vague　biological　limit；　which　separates　the　present　geological　epoch
from　that　which　immediately　preceded　it。　　And　there　can　be　no　doubt
that　the　physical　geography　of　Europe　has　changed　wonderfully；　since
the　bones　of　Men　and　Mammoths；　Hyaenas　and　Rhinoceroses　were　washed
pell…mell　into　the　cave　of　Engis。

The　skull　from　the　cave　of　Engis　was　originally　discovered　by　Professor
Schmerling；　and　was　described　by　him；　together　with　other　human　remains
disinterred　at　the　same　time；　in　his　valuable　work；　'Recherches　sur　les
ossemens　fossiles　decouverts　dans　les　cavernes　de　la　Province　de
Liege'；　published　in　1833　（p。　59；　'et　seq。'）；　from　which　the　following
paragraphs　are　extracted；　the　precise　expressions　of　the　author　being；
as　far　as　possible；　preserved。

〃In　the　first　place；　I　must　remark　that　these　human　remains；　which　are
in　my　possession；　are　characterized　like　thousands　of　bones　which　I
have　lately　been　disinterring；　by　the　extent　of　the　decomposition　which
they　have　undergone；　which　is　precisely　the　same　as　that　of　the　extinct
species：　all；　with　a　few　exceptions；　are　broken；　some　few　are　rounded；
as　is　frequently　found　to　be　the　case　in　fossil　remains　of　other
species。　　The　fractures　are　vertical　or　oblique；　none　of　them　are
eroded；　their　colour　does　not　differ　from　that　of　other　fossil　bones；
and　varies　from　whitish　yellow　to　blackish。　　All　are　lighter　than
recent　bones；　with　the　exception　of　those　which　have　a　calcareous
incrustation；　and　the　cavities　of　which　are　filled　with　such　matter。

〃The　cranium　which　I　have　caused　to　be　figured；　Plate　I。；　Figs。　1；　2；　is
that　of　an　old　person。　The　sutures　are　beginning　to　be　effaced：　all　the
facial　bones　are　wanting；　and　of　the　temporal　bones　only　a　fragment　of
that　of　the　right　side　is　preserved。

〃The　face　and　the　base　of　the　cranium　had　been　detached　before　the　skull
was　deposited　in　the　cave；　for　we　were　unable　to　find　those　parts；
though　the　whole　cavern　was　regularly　searched。　The　cranium　was　met
with　at　a　depth　of　a　metre　and　a　half　＇five　feet　nearly＇；　hidden　under
an　osseous　breccia；　composed　of　the　remains　of　small　animals；　and
containing　one　rhinoceros　tusk；　with　several　teeth　of　horses　and　of
ruminants。　　This　breccia；　which　has　been　spoken　of　above　（p。　30）；　was　a
metre　＇3　1/4　feet　about＇　wide；　and　rose　to　the　height　of　a　metre　and　a
half　above　the　floor　of　the　cavern；　to　the　walls　of　which　it　adhered
strongly。

〃The　earth　which　contained　this　human　skull　exhibited　no　trace　of
disturbance：　teeth　of　rhinoceros；　horse；　hyaena；　and　bear；　surrounded
it　on　all　sides。

FIG。　22。The　skull　from　the　cave　of　Engisviewed　from　the　right　side。
'a'　glabella；　'b'　occipital　protuberance；　（'a'　to　'b'
glabello…occipital　line）；　'c'　auditory　foramen。

〃The　famous　Blumenbach*　has　directed　attention　to　the　differences
presented　by　the　form　and　the　dimensions　of　human　crania　of　different
races。　　This　important　work　would　have　assisted　us　greatly；　if　the
face；　a　part　essential　for　the　determination　of　race；　with　more　or　less
accuracy；　had　not　been　wanting　in　our　fossil　cranium。

　　　　＇footnote＇　*Decas　Collectionis　suae　craniorum　diversarum
　　　　gentium　illustrata。　　Gottingae；　1790…1820。

〃We　are　convinced　that　even　if　the　skull　had　been　complete；　it　would　not
have　been　possible　to　pronounce；　with　certainty；　upon　a　single
specimen；　for　individual　variations　are　so　numerous　in　the　crania　of
one　and　the　same　race；　that　one　cannot；　without　laying　oneself　open　to
large　chances　of　error；　draw　any　inference　from　a　single　fragment　of　a
cranium　to　the　general　form　of　the　head　to　which　it　belonged。

〃Nevertheless；　in　order　to　neglect　no　point　respecting　the　form　of　this
fossil　skull；　we　may　observe　that；　from　the　first；　the　elongated　and
narrow　form　of　the　forehead　attracted　our　attention。

〃In　fact；　the　slight　elevation　of　the　frontal；　its　narrowness；　and　the
form　of　the　orbit；　approximate　it　more　nearly　to　the　cranium　of　an
Ethiopian　than　to　that　of　an　European：　　the　elongated　form　and　the
produced　occiput　are　also　characters　which　we　believe　to　be　observable
in　our　fossil　cranium；　but　to　remove　all　doubt　upon　that　subject　I　have
caused　the　contours　of　the　cranium　of　an　European　and　of　an　Ethiopian
to　be　drawn　and　the　foreheads　represented。　　Plate　II。；　Figs。　1　and　2；
and；　in　the　same　plate；　Figs。　3　and　4；　will　render　the　differences
easily　distinguishable；　and　a　single　glance　at　the　figures　will　be　more
instructive　than　a　long　and　wearisome　description。

〃At　whatever　conclusion　we　may　arrive　as　to　the　origin　of　the　man　from
whence　this　fossil　skull　proceeded；　we　may　express　an　opinion　without
exposing　ourselves　to　a　fruitless　controversy。　　Each　may　adopt　the
hypothesis　which　seems　to　him　most　probable：　for　my　own　part；　I　hold　it
to　be　demonstrated　that　this　cranium　has　belonged　to　a　person　of
limited　intellectual　faculties；　and　we　conclude　thence　that　it　belonged
to　a　man　of　a　low　degree　of　civilization：　a　deduction　which　is　borne
out　by　contrasting　the　capacity　of　the　frontal　with　that　of　the
occipital　region。

〃Another　cranium　of　a　young　individual　was　discovered　in　the　floor　of
the　cavern　beside　the　tooth　of　an　elephant；　the　skull　was　entire　when
found；　but　the　moment　it　was　lifted　it　fell　into　pieces；　which　I　have
not；　as　yet；　been　able　to　put　together　again。　　But　I　have　represented
the　bones　of　the　upper　jaw；　Plate　I。；　Fig。　5。　　The　state　of　the　alveoli
and　the　teeth；　shows　that　the　molars　had　not　yet　pierced　the　gum。
Detached　milk　molars　and　some　fragments　of　a　human　skull　proceed　from
this　same　place。　　The　Figure　3　represents　a　human　superior　incisor
tooth；　the　size　of　which　is　truly　remarkable。*

　　　　＇footnote＇　*In　a　subsequent　passage；　Schmerling　remarks　upon
　　　　the　occurrence　of　an　incisor　tooth　'of　enormous　size'　from
　　　　the　caverns　of　Engihoul。　　The　tooth　figured　is　somewhat
　　　　long；　but　its　dimensions　do　not　appear　to　me　to　be
　　　　otherwise　remarkable。

〃Figure　4　is　a　fragment　of　a　superior　maxillary　bone；　the　molar　teeth　of
which　are　worn　down　to　the　roots。

〃I　possess　two　vertebrae；　a　first　and　last　dorsal。

〃A　clavicle　of　the　left　side　（see　Plate　III。；　Fig。　1）；　although　it
belonged　to　a　young　individual；　this　bone　shows　that　he　must　have　been
of　great　stature。*

　　　　＇footnote＇　*The　figure　of　this　clavicle　measures　5　inches
　　　　from　end　to　end　in　a　straight　lineso　that　the　bone　is
　　　　rather　a　small　than　a　large　one。

〃Two　fragments　of　the　radius；　badly　preserved；　do　not　indicate　that　the
height　of　the　man；　to　whom　they　belonged；　exceeded　five　feet　and　a
half。

〃As　to　the　remains　of　the　upper　extremities；　those　which　are　in　my
possession　consist　merely　of　a　fragment　of　an　ulna　and　of　a　radius
（Plate　III。；　Figs。　5　and　6）。

〃Figure　2；　Plate　IV。；　represents　a　metacarpal　bone；　contained　in　the
breccia；　of　which　we　have　spoken；　it　was　found　in　the　lower　part　above
the　cranium：　add　to　this　some　metacarpal　bones；　found　at　very　different
distances；　half…a…dozen　metatarsals；　three　phalanges　of　the　hand；　and
one　of　the　foot。

〃This　is　a　brief　enumeration　of　the　remains　of　human　bones　collected　in
the　cavern　of　Engis；　which　has　preserved　for　us　the　remains　of　three
individuals；　surrounded　by　those　of　the　Elephant；　of　the　Rhinoceros；
and　of　Carnivora　of　species　unknown　in　the　present　creation。〃

From　the　cave　of　Engihoul；　opposite　that　of　Engis；　on　the　right　bank　of
the　Meuse；　Schmerling　obtained　the　remains　of　three　other　individuals
of　Man；　among　which　were　only　two　fragments　of　parietal　bones；　but　many
bones　of　the　extremities。　　In　one　case　a　broken　fragment　of　an　ulna　was
soldered　to　a　like　fragment　of　a　radius　by　stalagmite；　a　condition
frequently　observed　among　the　bones　of　the　Cave　Bear　（'Ursus
spelaeus'）；　found　in　the　Belgian　caverns。

It　was　in　the　cavern　of　Engis　that　Professor　Schmerling　found；　incrusted
with　stalagmite　and　joined　to　a　stone；　the　pointed　bone　implement；
which　he　has　figured　in　Fig。　7　of　his　Plate　XXXVI。；　and　worked　flints
were　found　by　him　in　all　those　Belgian　caves；　which　contained　an
abundance　of　fossil　bones。

A　short　letter　from　M。　Geoffroy　St。　Hilaire；　published　in　the　'Comptes
Rendus'　of　the　Academy　of　Sciences　of　Paris；　for　July　2nd；　1838；　speaks
of　a　visit　（and　apparently　a　very　hasty　one）　paid　to　the　collection　of
Professor　'Schermidt'　（which　is　presumably　a　misprint　for　Schmerling）
at　Liege。　　The　writer　briefly　criticises　the　drawings　which　illustrate
Schmerling's　work；　and　affirms　that　the　〃human　cranium　is　a　little
longer　than　it　is　represented〃　in　Schmerling's　figure。　　The　only　other
remark　worth　quoting　is　this：〃The　aspect　of　the　human　bones　differs
little　from　that　of　the　cave　bones；　with　which　we　are　familiar；　and　of
which　there　is　a　considerable　collection　in　the　same　place。　　With
respect　to　their　special　forms；　compared　with　those　of　the　varieties　of
recent　human　crania；　few　'certain'　conclusions　can　be　put　forward；　for
much　greater　differences　exist　between　the　different　specimens　of
well…characterized　varieties；　than　between　the　fossil　cranium　of　Liege
and　that　of　one　of