The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1889-04-03
S rms m ANCESTOR I


- xf~x fxf-s4 49, .rx<~xkxsx ~
fSeiesAoE y - 8. 49,
the Department. oaUS - s1
American Mseexm o. safurnl ftsstoEy
has iuxs received new addition 50 his
aecerxrnenf. This q = cast q oss 81
49, 1890 rasmmaI fossils wk}cE
- - ,s.-.-<.~,~.-.-sssff -sFT4 or,~.
sSe1ies nss 49, 49,. - r.
inzs Of tne cast ~ stse ksoR.ssS ~
lessor 4. y. Cope the paie0ntoioglsk
al phiiadelphsa. and the east Itself
che ssyst one msdc. was presented 70
she sus.sersn. hy Or. Robert II. Lam.
horne 81 this city. The interest In
sEsss e.,1rfs.srn a keen. owing TO the
60 sk~s t1,e fassiI q the skss~fxn 81
s.rs aniruaI which Il REGARDED ~ the
$500 svr.s n sII arsiuaIs Of to-day
1873 e~r d5xf<n1.ft<hesE HF having
1900 n. s-IrntiIie name 4 Ph1naeo~
ds,s-rsri,n.evus The fossil was dis
s,s<s.,.r..s snvrv.i years aeo in the Wind
49, galley al wyoming Territory
ard wss afteyward secured By Pro-
f.as~v f.,ne Who learned OF the cir
s.,,ssfsrre
THE reservation OF the animal II re-
msrEaEle ii had apparently laid
dowrs 10 die IN The clay, and the h<,as
,svrs irsng s,udixt.1rf<d. the bones
~~ya r,of xcnffered. In appearance
~ & rieton Il naf Formidable. The
ansu.al wh,oh n believed 10 be full
erown was NOT when alive much
lareer thar 4 sheen or d veariIng calf.
Wbst sIrsf etrikcx the o:5serser il ifs
retnarkahie preservation. The srnal!-
81 bono sr,p<ars TO BE- preserved. Ap-
narentIy fhs animal sank down In the
eIsv erhausted and wefas into its last
sIeen The earcass was not disturbed,
the bones were never scattered and
the skeleton was gradually. In the
course az thousands of years. trans
formed with the surrounding earth |
into stone. The sknil has some ~
sefuhlanee 10 that OF horse, but ts |
raorr of The general type OF the rhine
ceros. There are no tusks. but slight
protuberances which indicate an ap-
proach 10 them. The teeth have much |
animals. Zach OF the four feft has
the general appearance OF human I'm
capped with small, perfectly shaped
hoof. which Is copy ia miniature oil
horse = hoof
4StE atf2ttatf &tgt*ftstrst - $1,000 L
says. fed on plants ana nesh. As II WAS
other. The cArtiiaginous portion oil
the skull at the mouth IL wanting. but
the general structare IL similar 70 that
OF the rhinoceros, which has the long
pointed lip like the beginning Of a |
trunk for the purpose o. better gather |
ing In the grass or foliage, while the |
teeth in their structure are adapted in |
some measure TO the food of cArniyer-
Gus animals. III the larger animals Of |
to-day had not then made their APP
pcarance the Phenacodus must have
been In the habit of making his special |
meals on snakes, frogs and the like. |
From the appearance OF his feet he |
wasa siat-footea animal, but the toes
also rested ON the ground and aided |
him In climbing steep inciines.
Professor Cope, IA well a. the En-
ropcan psychologists, regard this |
skeleton as one OF the most remarkable |
discoveries OF recent years. A more |
advanced form Of this animal was OBJ |
tanned some years ago Ia France. and |
was the subject Of much speculation |
by Culver. tie naturalist. Ii was |
termed the Paseotherium. and was re-
garsied as the ancestral form OF the /
horse. Several other specimens have /
since been discovered In good eonai- |
ton. showing that the animal had |
reached the size OF deer, hut its toes |
were reduced 20 three or four. Pro-
lessor Cope. as tho results OF his |
studies on the early character OF ami
mails. indicated in q paper which be /
published in 1es,s that the older form |
OF these animals. II ever found, would |
possess those distinctive traits which |
are indicated in this specimen of the /
Phenacodus, which be has since OBJ
tanned the stratum in which this /