The Histomap of Evolution

Postwar edition of ‘The Histomap of Evolution.’

“For the next several thousand years, it is improbable that there will be extensive glaciation or other drastic change in physical living conditions which might bring about a “life crisis “of such severity as to inaugurate further evolution in the anatomical structure of Man.” [Text, lower left].

This controversial chart attempts to outline the history of ‘Earth, Life, and Mankind for Ten Thousand Million Years.’ It was originally copywritten by John B. Sparks in 1932, but this particular example has been updated to 1947 and was published in Chicago by Rand McNally. It’s organized as a chronological timeline of evolutionary groups from the ‘Dawn of Life’ (about 3,000,000 years ago) to the middle of the 20th century.

Colors show the various orders, species, and families (heavily generalized); while the width of their respective lines show their ‘Relative Dominance.’ Tables of text on either side describe the Geological, Cultural and Historical Periods (left) and The Story of the Emergence and Progression of Life (right).

The historical accuracy of the chart is highly debatable and the attention which it gives to the various ‘races’ of man near the bottom is a gross example of the discredited science of polygenism – the idea that human races were separate, distinct species. ‘Negroids’ (dark blue), led by American Negroes and the Republic of Liberia, are sandwiched between ‘Primitive Man’ and ‘Hamites.’ The Relative Dominance (in terms of line width) of the U.S. is exaggerated and reflects American feelings of supremacy in the postwar world. Text at the end warns that a “danger of reduction in standards of living leads to selective immigration of healthier and more easily assimilated peoples.”

The chart includes its original envelope and the separately printed foreword and bibliography. The latter, also written by Sparks, attempts to synthesize the information presented in this Histomap with that shown in the Histomap of Religion. A third educational diagram, the Histomap of History, was also issued.

Sources: Harvard Library; Slate;