The Primate Family Tree Metaphor

Although some may think of metaphor as ornamental and inapplicable for use in subjects other than English literature, metaphors are necessary for communication in all fields. The use of metaphor is especially crucial in the field of education, where students cannot be taught without the use of metaphor because one cannot understand completely new ideas without making a connection to previously known information (Reddy). Textbooks readily employ metaphor in order to convey new information to students. Pages 28-29 of The Primate Family Tree by Ian Redmond illustrates the evolution of primates through a diagram of a tree and describes how the theory of evolution has changed since the nineteenth century. The Primate Family Tree willfully utilizes

The diagram illustrates a distinct version of the complex systems are plants metaphor: biological evolution is a tree. This dominant metaphor contains central mapping metaphors of species are branches, time is upwardness, and origin is the trunk. The branches of the tree represent various primate species; on the diagram, some branches “end” while others “extend” off the page. The ending of branches represents the end of major evolution of that particular species, either due to extinction or because that is the version of that species that is existent presently. Redmond also states in his writing that “human and ape lines last branched...” (Redmond 29), which connects the evolution of human and ape species to the metaphorical evolutionary “tree.” Other common metaphors are present within the species are branches metaphor, such as significant is big and time is distance. The metaphor significant is big is conventionally used in illustrations, including cartoons and diagrams. In Redmond’s “family tree” of primates, prominent species are represented with larger branches. Time is distance is also a standard metaphor used in illustrations; when viewing the family tree diagram, one immediately recognizes that long branches stretching upward signify a long passage of time. The time is distance metaphor exists as a submetaphor within the branches are species main metaphor system, but can also be related to another aspect of the tree diagram: passage of time is upwardness. There is a label on the vertical axis of the diagram that shows time progressing “up” the page. This is an unconventional concept in multiple ways, the first being that it is standard in Western culture to represent passage of time in a horizontal fashion rather than vertically (Kovecses 42). Secondly, family trees typically