Page:Palæolithic Man and Terramara Settlements in Europe.djvu/46

16 of the brain-matter. The function of the femurs being henceforth to support a certain load, i.e. the entire weight of the body, it would not influence them in the least whether that load contained the brains of a fool or of a philosopher. The important and novel element which the permanent assumption of the erect posture was the means of introducing on the field of human life, was the use to which the fore limbs were put. The result was the formation of the human hand, the most perfect mechanical organ nature has yet produced. The fingers can be opposed singly or in groups to the thumb, so as to form a hook, clasp, or pair of pincers; and the palm can be made into a cup-shaped hollow capable of grasping a round ball. Nor is there any limit to the direction in which many of these manipulations can be formed without any movement of the rest of the body. The position of such a perfect piece of mechanism at the extremity of a movable arm attached to the upper part of the trunk, gives to man a superiority in attack and defence over all other animals, on the same principle as a soldier finds it advantageous to fight from higher ground. Moreover, he possesses the power to perform a variety of quick movements, and to assume attitudes and positions eminently adapted for the exercise of that manipulative skill with which he countervails the superior brute force of many of his antagonists. He can readily balance his body on one or both legs, can turn on his heels as if they were pivots, and can prostrate himself comfortably in the prone or supine positions. As the centre of gravity of the whole body is nearly in line with the spinal axis, stable equilibrium is easily maintained by the lumbar muscles. Altogether, we have in his physical structure a combination of organs and functions sufficiently unique to place man in a category by himself. But at the same time, we must not forget that his morphological peculiarities have been accomplished without the destruction of the primary and typical homologies common to all the higher vertebrates.

Thus, with bipedal locomotion, the spinal adjustment for maintaining the erect attitude, handicraft skill, and a progressive brain, Homo sapiens started on his human career—a career which was destined to give him the title of "Lord of Creation."