"If the resident zoologist of Galaxy X had visited the earth 5 million years ago while making his inventory of inhabited planets in the universe, he would surely have corrected his earlier report that apes showed more promise than Old World monkeys and noted that monkeys had overcome an original disadvantage to gain domination among primates. (He will confirm this statement after his visit next year—but also add a footnote that one species from the ape bush has enjoyed an unusual and unexpected flowering, thus demanding closer monitoring.)"
Stephen Jay Gould

January 1, 1970

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Original Language: English

Sources

"The Declining Empire of Apes", p. 288

https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Stephen_Jay_Gould