Arthur Keith

Sir Arthur Keith (1866–1955) was a Scottish anatomist and anthropologist. He is best known for his work on the structure and evolution of humans, his support of the Piltdown Man (later exposed as a hoax), and his theories on the racial basis of human evolution. Keith was a prolific writer, and his works contributed significantly to the fields of anatomy and anthropology during the early 20th century.

Early Life and Education

Arthur Keith was born in Aberdeen, Scotland, in 1866. He received his medical education at the University of Aberdeen, where he developed an interest in human anatomy. After completing his medical degree, Keith pursued further studies in anatomy at the University of London, where he began his research career.

Career

Keith's early work focused on the anatomy of primates and the evolutionary significance of certain anatomical features in humans. He became a leading authority on the human skeleton and was appointed Conservator of the Hunterian Museum at the Royal College of Surgeons in England, a position he held for many years.

Throughout his career, Keith published extensively on the subject of human evolution. He was a proponent of the theory that modern humans evolved in Europe and were of different racial origins, a theory that has since been discredited. Keith's support of the Piltdown Man, a fossil find that purported to be the 'missing link' between apes and humans, was a significant part of his work until the find was exposed as a hoax in 1953.

Keith was also interested in the social implications of his scientific work, writing on the relationship between human biology and society. He was a strong advocate for the application of anthropological knowledge to social issues, including the management of racial relations and the improvement of public health.

Legacy

Sir Arthur Keith's contributions to the fields of anatomy and anthropology were recognized with numerous awards and honors during his lifetime. He was knighted in 1921 for his services to science. Despite the controversy surrounding some of his theories, Keith's work on the human skeleton and his broader contributions to anthropology remain of historical significance.

Keith's theories on race and evolution have been largely discredited by subsequent scientific research, which has shown that human evolution is a complex process involving the migration and interbreeding of various human populations. However, his work on the anatomy of the human body and his role in the early development of anthropology as a scientific discipline continue to be recognized.

Selected Works

• The Antiquity of Man (1915)
• A New Theory of Human Evolution (1948)

See Also

• Human evolution
• Piltdown Man
• Anthropology
• Anatomy