Summary ...

Man is created in the image of God. This central tenant of Judaeo-Christian mythology is his license to kill, eat, uproot and dominate all lesser creatures that survive the trip in Noah's ark.

But what if scientists were able to prove that one of those lesser creatures was descended from an ancestor with all the intelligence and attributes of homo sapiens—an ancestor who had filled the plains of Africa before man came down from the trees?

This is the question posed in Piers Anthony's zoological detective story.

Story Excerpt ...

"Man is a small-mouth animal," Miss Concher said as the truck stopped. "He was less successful in the jungle than were the apes, and became carnivorous to fill his belly. Since he could no longer use those recessed teeth effectively for hunting, he had to make do with his forelimbs select. Which in turn forced him to assume the bipedal stance, and he didn't even have a tail to brace against." She nodded sagely. "We can be sure that the first stone thrower was not without sin; he was without food, and desperate..."