MAN'S ANCESTORS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 238, 8 October 1935, Page 9

MAN'S ANCESTORS.

APES FORCED OFF TREES.

SIR A. WOODWARD'S THEORY,

(Special.—By Air Mail.)

LONDON, September 14,

Apparently man is merely the result of an accident. If a number of apes in Central Asia had not been compelled by chance to spend their time on the ground instead of in trees, we might not have been here at all. That, at any rate, seems to be the opinion of Sir Arthur Smith Woodward, the eminent anthropologist, who spoke at the British Association 011 "Recent Progress in the Study of Early Man.' According to him, the accident that led to the appearance ■ of the human race was the upheaval of the Himalayan Mountains about 60,000,000 year 3 ago. The east to west ridge of these mountains, he explained, was raised up at the time when Northern India was covered with a great forest which s.warmed with apes of many kinds. The formation of the ridge cut off a northern portion of the forest, which then became subject to comparatively inclement conditions.

The apes stranded in this northern portion were disturbed by the extensive destruction of tiie trees and the survivors were compelled to be ground apes and change their habits of feeding. "They would thus be modified," declare ! Sir Arthur, "in the direction of man." Presumably lie meant that the necessity of changing their mode of life caused lliem to think pretty hard and so develop their brain. Being unable to climb a tree to escape from an enemy, they naturally had to think out means of defence. Being deprived of tho shelter of trees, they had to produce some other form of shelter. Anyhow, Sir Arthur seemed to be satisfied that we .were the result of the disturbance of apes by the eccentric behaviour of the Himalayas.