New-York tribune., 1877-09-01


The genus PtqtpqOags Is represented by several spe
cios one OF which was very abundant in the Postrer-
tiary OF North America and Is apparently the last cN-
ample Of q side branch before the American saihues
cuminao in exs ing Peccario5 The feetin TINS species
are specialized than in the living FORMS aad an
preach OF the peculiar features Of the rnmnahS;
as for example strong tendency TO coaiescnee Ia The
meapodial bones The genus PiaiygoaHs became c1he'
the PostTertiary and the later and exstine species
all true Peccares No authenticated remains OF the
genera Sas Porous Ph0cochgris or the allied h2po*r
mus, the Old World suinines have been found IN Ahef
ca although several announcements TO that ehect nave
been made.
In the series of generic forms between the lower
Eoceue EoAyts and the existing Dic0yics. which nave
very briefly discussed we have apparently tue ancestral
line ending In the typical American suilines Although
The demonstration s not yet complete as IN the lhe-
age OF the horse rhs is owing 70 want OF material
but rather to the fact that the actual changes Which
transformed the early Tertiary pig into the modern rec
cary were comparatively slight far a. they are indi-
Gated in the skeletons preserved while the lateral
branches were so 10 confuse the line II Is
clear however has from the close OF the Cretaceous 70
the Po,t-Tertiary the BuuodOnt Artlodactyies were
especially abundn, this Continent aud only recently
have approached extinction.
The selen0dont division Of the Ar0dactyles is a more
interesting group and, so far We now know makes Its
first appearance in the upper E0cene Of the West,
although forms apparently transitional, between 1t and
the Bunodonts in the DinoceTas Beds or middle
Eocenc The most pronounced Seienodolt m the upper
Eoocne Is the OToaeyr, which genus appears 10 ne
allied 70 the existing Deer family, Ce5rid0 and II So
the Oldest known reprosenaye Of the group IheSe
facts are important il has been supposed until very
recently, that Eocene contained no even-hoofed
mammals.
CAMKLs DEER. ELEPHANTS.
most interesting line that leading TO the Camela and
Lamas separatee rom the primitive selcnodont branch
in the Eocene PROBABLY through the genus iart~eTT
In the Miocene We mud IN Pgboiterrum and some nearly
allied forms unmstaatbe indications that the Cameiod
type cf rumuant had already become partially special
led although there complete series o. lacis9r teeth
and the etapodia bodies distinct In The Pioceue
the Camel tribe was next the Horses, the most ahund
ant Of the larger mammals. The line rs con-hueu
through the genus Proa9ieiuS, and perhaps othets ana
IN this formation the ncisoTs first begin diminish and
the mempOdis 10 unite. In the POs-iartary we nave
true uehenia, represented by several specie anc
obers IA South America, where the Apacas and Laas
St survive. From the Eocene almost to the present
me North America has been the home OF vast numbers
of Calne1G there be little doubt that they
originated here, and migrated 70 the Ola World.
Tie Deer family has representative in the upper Mo
cene OF Europe, which contains fossils strongly RESENT
bling the fauna OF lower Pliocene fact always to
be borne mind in comparing the horizon OF any group
the two Several species OF Cerptdd, be-
longing the C0soTr. known from the lower
Pocene OF tine West, and all have very small antlers
divided into a sngle pair OF tynes.
The Proboscideans, which separated from the
~ pcal Ungates distinct order make theiF rst APP
pearauee North Americ, in the lower PAOcenc where
several species OF Mastodon have been found. This
genus occurs also in the upper Pocene and in the Post
Tertiary although some OF the remains attributed 70
the latter are undoubtedly older The P0cene species
ali have band o.! enamel tJisks, and other
pecuartes observed in the oldest Masodons Of Europe
which from essentially the horizon Two spe-
cies Of this genus have been found in south Amer
lea, in connection with the remains Of extinct
Llamas and horses. The genus Eephas is
later form, and has not yet been iden-
titled in this country below the upper Pli0cenc where
one gl.antic species was abundant IN the Post-Fho
Gene. reuains Of this genus numerous TIC hairy
Mammoth Of the Old World LEIephas prtmi1e'lils was
once abundant in Alaska and great numbers OF ts bones
are now preserved in the frozen cliffs OF that region
This eces does not appear have extended east ofthe
Rocky Mountains south OF Columbia River, but was
replaced lhere by the American Elephant which pre-
ferred uilder climate Remains Oftle latter nave been
mel with m Canada throughout the United states, aud
in Mexico. The last OF the American Mastodons and h
ephants became extinct III the rost-Tertary.
Perhaps the most remarkable mammals yet found IN
America are the TiioGonti0. which comparatively
abundant in the lower and middle Eocene. These sni-
uala seem TO combine the characters OF several different
groups viz: The Caynivores Ungulates and Rodents III
the gems Tioeu, the type Of the order and Of the
family Tilo0ertdos, the skull resembles that OF the
Bears; TIL ioar teeth Of the ungulate type while
the large neisors are very similar those OF Rodents
The skeleton resembles that OF the Carniyores.
THE PRIMATEs INCLUDING MAN.
We come now to the highest group Of Mammals, the
rrates which includes the Lenurs, the Apes and Man
TINS Order has great Antiquity aud even a. the base OF
the oceno we lind represented by several genera be-
longing to the lower forms of the group In considering
these interesting fossils, II is important to have III mlnd
that the Leurs which usually regarded as Prirnaes
although at the bottom Of the scale, are only found 1T
the present day Madagascar ard the adjacent Seons
OF the globe All the American Monkey, moreover be-
long to one group much above the Lemus, while the
OdWord Apes are higher STILL and most nearly approach
Man.
In the lower Eocene Of New Mexico we find a few rep
reseutatves Of the earliest known Primate' aud among
them are the genera LemWdUUs and LtmnoLertuB,
each the tyne OF a distinct family. These genera be-
came vey abundant in the middle Eocene OF tho West
and with them are found many others, all however IN
clnded in the two families, LenarGCid9 and LimHothe
ride
In the Moceue lake basins OF the West, only single
species OF the PriHas mas been identified with certainty
THIS was found in the Oreodon Beds OF Nebraska and
belongs to the genus Ldop,tecas apparently related
lot to Linn0teride and existing South Ameri-
can Monkeys. In the Phocene and Posi-Ploeene OF
North America no remains OF Primates have yet been
found. .
In tie Post-Pliocene deposits OF the Brazilian caves,
remains OF Monkeys are numerous and mainly belong 10
extinct species Of CaIrir. Cebs and Jdcehus, ali v-
ing South American genera. Only one extinct genus,
Protopthecs which embraced animals OF large sze has
been found IN this peculiar fauna
It noteworthy fact that traces Of any AnthroPod
Apes or indeed OF any Old World Monkeys, have yet been
detected in America Man. however, t1e highest Of the
Prilnates has left his works from the Arctic
Circle TO Patagonia Most Of these specimens are clearly
Post-Terary, although there Is considerable evidence
otnting 10 tine existence of Man ia Piocene All the