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Orang-Outang, sive Homo Sylvestris: or, the Anatomy of a Pygmie Compared with that of a Monkey, an Ape, and a Man (1699) is a book by the British natural philosopher
Edward Tyson. Regarded as a seminal work on anatomy, this volume led to Tyson being known as the father of
comparative anatomy. The book characterizes in detail the anatomy of a creature described as a pygmy (later known as a
chimpanzee) and contains Tyson's views on the
phylogeny of the pygmy and its relationship to humans, apes, and monkeys.
The use of the phrase "orang-outang" does not refer to members of the orangutan genus Pongo, but rather uses the phrase to refer to the habitat of the subject; that is, a "person of the forest" (orangutan translates from Malay as "person of the forest/jungle". [1]) Due to the absence of previous literature concerning chimpanzees, it is not clear whether or not the titular subject was a bonobo, Pan paniscus, or a common chimpanzee, Pan troglodytes, as there was not great prior distinction between the two. Following his summary of the anatomy of the subject, Tyson attaches four essays concerning the ancients' knowledge of pygmies, cynocephali, satyrs, and sphinges.
The book was originally published in 1699 and was republished in 1894 with an introduction which contains a biography of Edward Tyson by Bertram C. A. Windle. Large portions of the book are block quotations in Latin of works from antiquity regarding the anatomy and socialization of the pygmy, much of which Tyson regarded as inaccurate myths and hearsay.
The letter of dedication is addressed to John Sommers, a Lord High Chancellor of England and President of the Royal Society. The letter thanks him for his dedication to the advancement of knowledge, specifically "experimental natural philosophy".
The preface consists of Tyson giving his reasons for conducting the study, "to find out the truth, than to enlarge in the mythology; to inform the judgement, than to please the fancy". He also laments his inability to compare his findings directly to apes and monkeys, instead having to rely on the works of others, such as Aristotle, Pliny, Galen, and Vesalius. Lastly he apologizes in advance for any mistakes on his part within the book.
The book itself is roughly divided into three parts containing Tyson's findings from his dissection of the pygmy and his comparison to previous findings, many of which are in Latin or Greek.
Tyson summarizes his observations on the external and internal anatomy of the pygmy, making note of their similarity or differences to humans. Most often he finds that the pygmy is different and "inferior" to humans, which is typical of the anthropocentrism of the time. Much of the text where he addresses previous findings are in Latin or Greek, although he does give explanations for why these authors' drew the conclusions they did, and why they are different or similar from his, in English.
This section is further subdivided into five sections, with much of the text being in Latin or Greek.
This section is not divided, but addresses the musculature of the pygmy from head to feet.
Here Tyson gives the reader two lists, the first how the pygmy is more like a man than an ape, and the second how the pygmy is more like an ape than a man.
A list of features Tyson found present in the pygmy which are more similar to a human than to an ape or a monkey; the terms use modern, common, anatomical terms which may differ from what is found in the book, but have been changed to ease the readers' understanding.
A list of features Tyson found were more similar between the pygmy and the ape and monkey, and less similar to a human.
![]() | This article's tone or style may not reflect the
encyclopedic tone used on Wikipedia. (June 2024) |
Orang-Outang, sive Homo Sylvestris: or, the Anatomy of a Pygmie Compared with that of a Monkey, an Ape, and a Man (1699) is a book by the British natural philosopher
Edward Tyson. Regarded as a seminal work on anatomy, this volume led to Tyson being known as the father of
comparative anatomy. The book characterizes in detail the anatomy of a creature described as a pygmy (later known as a
chimpanzee) and contains Tyson's views on the
phylogeny of the pygmy and its relationship to humans, apes, and monkeys.
The use of the phrase "orang-outang" does not refer to members of the orangutan genus Pongo, but rather uses the phrase to refer to the habitat of the subject; that is, a "person of the forest" (orangutan translates from Malay as "person of the forest/jungle". [1]) Due to the absence of previous literature concerning chimpanzees, it is not clear whether or not the titular subject was a bonobo, Pan paniscus, or a common chimpanzee, Pan troglodytes, as there was not great prior distinction between the two. Following his summary of the anatomy of the subject, Tyson attaches four essays concerning the ancients' knowledge of pygmies, cynocephali, satyrs, and sphinges.
The book was originally published in 1699 and was republished in 1894 with an introduction which contains a biography of Edward Tyson by Bertram C. A. Windle. Large portions of the book are block quotations in Latin of works from antiquity regarding the anatomy and socialization of the pygmy, much of which Tyson regarded as inaccurate myths and hearsay.
The letter of dedication is addressed to John Sommers, a Lord High Chancellor of England and President of the Royal Society. The letter thanks him for his dedication to the advancement of knowledge, specifically "experimental natural philosophy".
The preface consists of Tyson giving his reasons for conducting the study, "to find out the truth, than to enlarge in the mythology; to inform the judgement, than to please the fancy". He also laments his inability to compare his findings directly to apes and monkeys, instead having to rely on the works of others, such as Aristotle, Pliny, Galen, and Vesalius. Lastly he apologizes in advance for any mistakes on his part within the book.
The book itself is roughly divided into three parts containing Tyson's findings from his dissection of the pygmy and his comparison to previous findings, many of which are in Latin or Greek.
Tyson summarizes his observations on the external and internal anatomy of the pygmy, making note of their similarity or differences to humans. Most often he finds that the pygmy is different and "inferior" to humans, which is typical of the anthropocentrism of the time. Much of the text where he addresses previous findings are in Latin or Greek, although he does give explanations for why these authors' drew the conclusions they did, and why they are different or similar from his, in English.
This section is further subdivided into five sections, with much of the text being in Latin or Greek.
This section is not divided, but addresses the musculature of the pygmy from head to feet.
Here Tyson gives the reader two lists, the first how the pygmy is more like a man than an ape, and the second how the pygmy is more like an ape than a man.
A list of features Tyson found present in the pygmy which are more similar to a human than to an ape or a monkey; the terms use modern, common, anatomical terms which may differ from what is found in the book, but have been changed to ease the readers' understanding.
A list of features Tyson found were more similar between the pygmy and the ape and monkey, and less similar to a human.