AN UNSOLVED MYSTERY

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 25 June 1927, Page 11

AN UNSOLVED MYSTERY

evidence that man is evolved from a common ancestor with the anthropoid ape is complete. In these words Professor Sir Arthur Keith, conservator of the Royal Oollege of Surgeons and one of the world’s greatest anthropologists, summed up the present position of science regarding Darwin’s theory of man’s descent. In a special statement to a “Daily Mail” reporter- he said that the knowledge of man had increased tenfold since Darwin first made known his startling discoveries. This autumn, when the British Association meets iat Leeds, Sir Arthur Keith will give his presidential address on “Darwin’s Theory of Man’s Descent ia« it stands to-day.” Before the gathering of the greatest British scientists he will sum up the evidence.

“My conclusions will he wholly in support of Darwin, and I .shall go into greater detail,” he said to the interviewer. “We are writing the history of man. in a new way; Darwin's book was the beginning. We cannot yet say why the human stock has budded •into the intelligent being that roan is to-day, or why the poor anthropoid ape •should have remained so low down the 1

MAN AND HIS INTELLIGENCE

scale. Neither do we know everything •about the beginning of life or its end. That is not our duty. At present one can only speculate about the beginning and the end otf life. Scientists all over the world are working at this great task of compiling man’s history. Professor Nuttaill ha® shown us that the chimpanzee’s blood and that of other anthropoid apes gives exactly the same reactions a® human blood. This happens with the blood of no other animal. We know, too, that certain human diseases will also attack the anthropoid. Our work for the most pant is in terms of thousands of years. Here is a tibia (leg .bone) which has just come from Ipswich and -is 10,000 years old.

“Educated people,” added Sir Arthur, “are prepared to believe in evolution. In the United States, however, there is a largo section of the population unacquainted with what has happened, and that section refuses to Relieve in the theory of man’s descent. In England that is not so. We are better educated here; and in the Church the theory has a good following.”