The evolution man

December 5, 2008 4:43 PM

Help me remember the illustrator's name who drew that original cartoon about evolution, which depicted the gradual transformation of a man starting as a monkey.

I remember reading somewhere that the (Italian?) illustrator was in fact against the idea of evolution and drew that cartoon to mock the theory (just like how Schrödinger devised his famous thought experiment to mock the Copenhagen interpretation of quantum mechanics -- or just like how Fred Hoyle coined the term "big bang" to mock that theory which he didn't believe to be true), but i cannot remember his name or the place i read about it. It's driving me crazy, please help.

posted by procrastinator to media & arts (11 comments total)

The image was in Clarke Howell's book, "Early Man" which was first published in 1965. I'm not sure it that was it's first appearance, of the cartoon, but I can imagine that it was one it's earlier appearances.
See image on the far right
posted by nikkorizz at 5:00 PM on December 5, 2008

Oops. His name is Clark, not Clarke.
posted by nikkorizz at 5:07 PM on December 5, 2008

Rudolph Zallinger
posted by Knappster at 5:41 PM on December 5, 2008

Yep. Thanks. The not-believing-evolution story seems to be false though. Pity, i was going to base an article on this info...
posted by procrastinator at 5:49 PM on December 5, 2008

Stephen J. Gould wrote a piece (in Natural History magazine?) about this years ago. IIRC, the original was called "The March of Progress."
posted by ZenMasterThis at 7:02 PM on December 5, 2008

Youre wrong about Hoyle too.
posted by damn dirty ape at 11:57 PM on December 5, 2008

Zallinger's murals, The Age of Reptiles and The Age of Mammals.
posted by dhartung at 12:02 AM on December 6, 2008

Youre wrong about Hoyle too.

BBC begs to differ.
Wikipedia too.
posted by procrastinator at 8:37 AM on December 6, 2008

It does?

It is popularly reported that Hoyle intended this to be pejorative, but the script from which he read aloud clearly shows that he intended the expression to help his listeners. [5] In addition, Hoyle explicitly denied that he was being insulting and said it was just a striking image meant to emphasize the difference between the two theories for radio listeners.[6]
posted by damn dirty ape at 10:25 AM on December 6, 2008

Oh, you're talking about "mocking", specifically. You may be right about that.

The "not-believing-in-the-theory-he-gave-it's-iconic-name/symbol/etc." was the point i'm more interested in.
posted by procrastinator at 12:18 PM on December 6, 2008

Ah, ok. My mistake then.
posted by damn dirty ape at 12:54 PM on December 6, 2008