MAN OF THE FUTURE

Gisborne Times, Volume LXX, Issue 11168, 29 March 1930, Page 9

MAN OF THE FUTURE

ONE HUNDRED CENTURIES HENCE. WHAT ANTHROPOLOGISTS EXPECT. A tall, thin." large-headed, thick-neekcd old fellow, Avith lots -of brain and Tittle hair--euch Avill be* our grandson of many “great-greats”—-10,000 years in the future—as anthropologists of the current year sue him,, basing their vision' oh the changes that have already taken pla'ce in man, and,are even now progressing. Says a contributor to “Ilie American Weekly” (New York) in an article based on' a comparison and assemblage of expert opinion gn this subject: . .

“Ten thousand years from now tlie average business man will be taller and thinner than his ‘ fellow to-day. His large and high -domed skull, thitiller of bone than to-day’s heads, will bo set on a thick, sturdy neck, able not only to carry the Avoight of a

larger brain, but with room inside for the great blood-vessels to supply that organ. Outside this future man’s head there will be little hair, but lie probably will still be. able to raise a good crop of Avhiskers. “T 1 ius science paints the portrait- ol the creature toAvards Avhich mankind is moving. Human evolution in tlie past lias displayed certain definip trends. Some of these arc continuing.

“Women Avill be taller than their sisters of to-day, just- as Avill be tinmen—larger of body and stronger oi bone. Their hair, Avhile still surviving more than tlie masculine quota, Avill have become thinner and silkier. On the Avliolo, Avomen Avill liave changed less than men and tho sexes Avill have become more alike in appearance. For one characteristic change that is expected is. an increased refinement and delicacy of line in nose, mouth, and other features; more noticeablciu the masculine half of humanity because that half lacks such characteristics now. In one item of appearance AA-emen Avill grow mere masculine, for the women of tlio future, like the man, will need a broad, strong neck to support her enlarged skull.

“Voices Avill he .softer, mere expressive, higher pitched than to-day. Even the men, it is probable, Avid sing soprano: bass voices will be alavistic rarities. Women will possess, perhaps, voices like a- young child of to-day. Yet there Avill be no lack cf virility of the men nor of maturity of tho Avomen. “Chief of tlie differences Avill be. undoubtedly, the changes in the brain. This master-organ of the bod.V will increase in size to some extent, but that Avill not be its chief change. Tho main one Avill be an increase in organisation and activity, the brameells beng coupled to cadi other move accurately and complexly, so that thinking abilities iioav possessed only by the rare genius will be the common possession of normal men and women.

AUTHORITATIVE PREDICTION “Many scientists have contributed to this prophetic portrait, and the majority of them agree on the chief de tails. Most definite and complete, perhaps, are tho predictions made not long ago by Dr. Ales Hrdlieka, ol Washington, 1).C., at the Philadelphia meeting of the American Philosophical Society. “The main changes”, Dr. Hrdlieka said, '“will he in the internal organisation of the brain, in a greatoi blood supply, a greater general effectiveness. The skull will be thinner, higher, and probably broader. .Body weight will be greater, bub nob greub enough to be called giantism. The face will increase slowly m refinement, hand <OlllO ness, and character. ’The eyes,’ Dr. Hrdlieka continues, ‘will, it is plain, be rather deeper sef the nose prominent and rather mu row, the mouth still smaller, the chin more- prominent, the jaws even more moderate, and less regular, the teeth tending to smaller, diminished mostly u number, even less regubu than now in eruption and position, and even less resistant. The-future of the beard is uncertain, but no such weakening as with the hair of the head is a,s yet observable “ ‘The body will tend to slenderness in youth, the breasts towards small, the pelvic Jimbs but little affected, tho lower limbs towards long, tlie upper rather towards, short, the hands and face towards narrower, the fingers and toes towards more s'under, with the fifth toe 'probably''further diminishing. * ' “ ‘As to tlie internal organs,, the probabilities are a further weakening and distribution of the appendix; and a shortening, with , diminution in ea pacity,. of tho intestines. As food may, bo expected to be more refined'and digestible, ..the, necessity of a spacious large intostino will dmimsli in proportion.” ”

Physiologically, Dr. Hrdlieka expects a slightly faster heartbeat and respiration, with slightly more bodily energy ; people of the future,'lie thinks, will ho active and nc.rvou.s. Disorders of digestion'and of glands, interference with sleep, mental and nervous disturbances aro expected to increase. Teeth, mouth, nose, eyes, ears and feet will givo more trouble than these organs create to-day. We read. further: v ■

“Tho changes that Dr. Hrdlieka foresees are already in progress today. Increases of. body height, have been observed all over the modern

world in countries where food is plentiful.

“The. narrowing of mouth and .jaws is already evident. Sir Arthur Keith has examined large numbers of skulls from ancient cemeteries. The ■ skulls of early races very seldom show, ho reports, narroAved jaws and croAvded teeth. As the centuries have passed mankind has become, lie says, more and more ‘mbit mouthed.’ Undoubtedly this is due to changes in human food. Foods are iioav softer more easily swallowed, less gritty and tough. Less chewing is necessary. Change of the ehcAving imi.sties exp'orts• beliove to be responsible not only for the narrowing of human jriAvs and overeroAvding of ,teeth but for increasing refinement and lieauty of feature.

“The continued effects of foods that are easy to cat are expected to be re sponsible also for tho part of the pro dieted trouble. Avith the digestive .sys tern. Improved medical .science is look ed to, however, to care for these troubles. “These facial changes are also expected to affect the human voice. The coarse, loud, ‘bull-roaring’ voice, com inoii a. few centuries ago, bus largely disappeared. Dr. Hrdlicka and the others consider it partly due to the narroAving of tho human jaws. Refinement and precision of language AviP probably be aided, also, by these changes. “The brain, too. is becoming ever more important in human evolution. 'Tlio comparatively small enlargement, which is necessary, Avill be met by the expanding skull. Dr. Bar. soils has found from comparative studies o' ancient and modern English skulls that the modern skull is already bulging at the sides and the top. “T 1 ie decrease in chewing and tho increased demand of the brain for blood may have something to do with mankind’s growing baldness, Avhich. vile experts predict also for future man. More blood has been taken for the inside of tlie head. Thus the hair cells get less, perhaps, than they did 10,000 years ago. Another biologist, Dr. Riddle, of the Carnegie Institu lion, suggested that perhaps man can effect some of these changes purposely, forging a new humanity aaTij'c’i shall he just- jvbat humanity desires instead of Avhat Nature deals out to it. Dr. Riddle's suggested Ava-y of doing tlii.s is through gland chemicals and ’similar .materials.”