Evolution and religion . bject minutely and exhaust-ively considered, according to the best knowledge wepossess. We may, however, briefly mention heresome of the most important points of resemblancebetween man and his ape cousins. No part ofEvolution possesses so much interest for the generalpublic as mans connection with the man-like is only natural, since to the most skeptical andunbelieving, the resemblance is striking, not to saystartling and impressive ; and in spite of all pre-judice and hatred, due especially to early theologicaltraining, the conviction insensibly and irresist
Evolution and religion . bject minutely and exhaust-ively considered, according to the best knowledge wepossess. We may, however, briefly mention heresome of the most important points of resemblancebetween man and his ape cousins. No part ofEvolution possesses so much interest for the generalpublic as mans connection with the man-like is only natural, since to the most skeptical andunbelieving, the resemblance is striking, not to saystartling and impressive ; and in spite of all pre-judice and hatred, due especially to early theologicaltraining, the conviction insensibly and irresistiblysteals upon us that between ourselves and the mosthighly developed of the apes there is indeed somemysterious and close relationship. The law of development proves that, far back inthe past, there existed a tribe of animals which, intheir upward course from lower forms, had ap-proached somewhat towards the human form. Theyare known as the Catarhine, or narrow-nosed apes,and from them have descended, in five different. Si, n ^ PRINCIPLES OF EVOLUTION. T^ Streams, man, gorilla, orang, chimpanzee and gib-bon. Each one as it developed along its ownpeculiar line, improved in structure and grew inconcomitant intelligence—man outstripping all theothers in very large degrees. Before the presentperfection of structure in man was reached he passedthrough many modifications ; and the same may besaid of his ape cousins. The common progenitorhas not yet been discovered ; but it is not unreason-able to hope that as palseontological research goeson it may yet be brought to light. The ape-likeprogenitors of the human race are long since extinct;we may possibly still find their fossil bones in thetertiary rocks of Southern Asia or Africa, writesHaeckel. In the long and gradual ascent of man from hisape-like ancestors arose ape-like man, with erectposture, more developed brain, and characteristicdifferentiation between hand and foot. We mayfairly assume that for some time after the outward
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