Eoanthropus Dawnonis, the Dawn Man.
The most ancient English human relic has been called the dawn man of Piltdown. Owing to the fact that the skull fragments had been badly damaged and scattered by workmen before they came into scientific hands, there has been a great deal of controversy as to their significance. Until the experts arrive at an agreement about this type it might be well for others to reserve judgment. There can be no doubt as to the fact that these remains show a curious admixture of simian and human characteristics, the jaw and teeth being even more simian than that of the Heidelberg man, while the skull, though primitive, is distinctly human. The age of the dawn man is placed at about 200,000 to 300,000 years.
In striking contrast with the fragmentary character of the remains just described are those of three distinct species of the genus homo, which are now to be briefly characterized.
Homo Neanderthalensis, the Neanderthal Man.
The well-established race known as Neanderthal man is represented by many individual skeletons of varying degrees of completeness and showing a considerable range of diversity. Specimens have been found in France, Spain, Belgium, Germany and Austria. This species of primitive man was of low stature about five feet three inches in the males and less in the females.
The posture was somewhat stooping. The relatively large head was long and flat, with ape-like brow ridges and scarcely any forehead, and was borne on an immensely uscular neck in such a way that the face was thrust forward in simian fashion, The lower jaw was heavy and lacked a chin prominence. The teeth were of a type known as taurodont, adapted to a coarse vegetable diet and quite different in structure from those of modern man. The brain of this ancient homo-Neanderthalensis was large and specialized in some parts, but deficient in those parts associated with the higher mental functions.
There can be no question that Neanderthal man was much more primitive, more simian in organization, than modern man. Expert opinion, as expressed by Keith looks upon him as "a separate and peculiar species of man which died out during or soon after the Mousterian period." This dates him back to about 50,000 years ago.
Homo Rhodesiensis, the Rhodesian Man.
Rhodesian man is represented by a perfect skull and a nearly perfect lower jaw, the tibia, both ends of a femur collar bone and parts of the scapula and pelvis. Part of the upper jaw of a second specimen was found in the same locality, the Broken Hill mine in northern Rhodesia. This species is largely of technical interest, and need not be described in detail. Suffice it to say that in some respects it was as primitive as Neanderthal man, but in other respects showed distinct tendencies toward the modern condition. Anthropologists have as yet not reached a decision as to the exact taxonomic status of Rhodesian man, nor has its age been definitely determined.
Homo Sapiens, the Modern Man.
The earliest fossil evidence of the existence of our own species dates back to about 25,000 years ago, At that time there lived a remarkable race, known to us as Cro-Magnons, a race said to be the most perfect physically of which we have any knowledge. Five essentially complete skeletons form the basis of the type description. This tall, strong, obviously intelligent, and artistic race, was different in several important particulars from any modern race. A detailed description of his characteristics would take us too far afield. Our chief interest in this race is that it serves to emphasize the antiquity of our own species.
