Pithecometra principle
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The Pithecometra principle or Pithecometra thesis (German: Pithecometra-Satz) describes the evolution of humans; the pithecometra law is analogous to the concept that "man evolved within apes" or "man descended from apes" as advocated by Thomas Henry Huxley.
In evolution, Huxley first developed the concept of the "Pithecometra principle" which was discussed by Charles Darwin and Ernst Haeckel, when Huxley wrote the 1863 essay "On the Origin of Species" stating that humanity was more closely related to apes than the apes were to monkeys.[1] Huxley added that to hunt evidence of this close ancestry between apes and humans, the regions where modern apes are found should be the focal point, hence, Africa.[1]
The pithecometra principle has been most notable in evolution theory by placing humanity as an offshoot of animal species, rather than a separate divine creation, and thus pithecometra has generated intense religious controversy for decades.