Keith, Arthur (1866–1955)

Scottish physiologist and anthropologist. Concerned with early hominid forms, Keith argued that competition was a key factor in the evolution of human species. He may have been responsible for the Piltdown man hoax.

Keith was born near Aberdeen and educated at the universities of Aberdeen; Leipzig, Germany; and University College, London. He was president of the Royal Anthropological Institute 1912–14; professor of physiology at the Royal Institution of Great Britain 1917–23; and secretary of the Royal Institution 1922–26.

His publications include Introduction to the Study of Anthropoid Apes 1896, Ancient Types of Man 1911, The Human Body 1912, Antiquity of Man 1915, Nationality and Race 1920, Religion of a Darwinist 1925, New Theory of Human Evolution 1948, and Autobiography 1950.