The Last Link: Our Present Knowledge of the Descent of Man

A landmark lecture from the late nineteenth century has been transformed into a concise volume that brings the era’s most vibrant debates on human origins into focus. Framed by the sweeping advances of zoology and the rise of evolutionary theory, the author traces how ideas from Lamarck to Darwin have reshaped our understanding of life’s lineage, before turning the spotlight on the singular question of humanity’s place in nature.

The work surveys the anatomical, embryological, and fossil evidence that underpinned early arguments for a common ancestry between humans and other mammals. Enriched with scholarly notes and biographical sketches, it offers a clear‑sighted look at the scientific foundations of anthropogeny as they stood at the turn of the century, inviting listeners to explore the roots of modern evolutionary thought.