Originally published in August 1906
“Some years ago Eugène Dubois discovered in the island of Java some bones from a prehistoric animal, which might have formed the so-called missing link in the chain of descent of man from monkey. Julius Kollman is rather of the opinion that the direct antecedents of man should not be sought among the species of anthropoid apes of great height and with flat skulls, but much further back in the zoological scale, among the small monkeys with pointed skulls; from these he believes were developed the human pygmy races of prehistoric ages, with pointed skulls. Thus may be explained the persistency with which mythology and folk lore allude to pygmy people.”
—Scientific American, August 1906
More gems from Scientific American’s first 175 years can be found on our anniversary archive page.
