Man from monkey.

I'm reading "The Dinosaur Hunters" by Deborah Cadbury, and the last part focuses on Darwin's publication of Origin of Species and the reaction from the scientific community. The suggestion that "natural selection" was the driving force behind speciation and diversity was bold enough, and that Man may not be excluded from this principle, descended from apes rather than created by God, shocked many.

One of the very public debates occurred at the annual meeting for British Association for the Advancement of Science. Bishop Samuel Wilberforce asked Huxley, in a somewhat rude and daring question, who of Huxley's ancestors was descended from a monkey? Huxley replied "he would not be ashamed to have a monkey for his ancestor; but he would be ashamed to be connected with a man who used great gifts to obscure the truth."

1981 satire cartoon showing Darwin as half-ape

The ongoing debate of Bible vs. scientific evidence continues today, and it's an immediately polarizing issue for many. I wonder if centuries from now, history books will write this age of confusion curiously with a "why didn't they realize... ?"-sort of tone.