New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-03-10
rs THIS AN ANCESTOR
DISCOVERY OF A REMARKABLE SKELETON
NATURALIsrs RELIEVE THAT ALL Hoofzp AM
MAILS GAN BE TRACED TO THIS MAMMAL.

NATIJRALIsTS RELIEVE THAT ALL Hoof@p AM
MArs oAN BE TRACED TO THIS MAMMAL.
Professor whitfield the curator OF the DEPARTMENT
OF Geology in the American Museum Oh Na0.el
History has Just received . new addiuon 70 US 10
partnent This is cast Of one OF the earnest nz
NAL fossils which science mas yes u,scosoi -
original Of tho cast is the property OF Professor u
Cone IN. paleoptologist of Philadelphia, and the
cast itself the first ono made, was presented 10 tne
rnuseum nv DR. Robert IL Lamborne OF this CITY,
The interest IN this specimen IS keen, owing 10 the
fset that tho fossil the skeleton OF an animal which
IS regarded as the parent type OF all animals Oh 10
day which are distinguished by having hoofs' its
scientific name IS Phenacodus- primaeyus The fossil
was discovered several years ago in the Wind River
valley Of wyoming Territory, and was afterward Sc
cured By Professor Cope, who learned Of the crcum
Stance.
Tho preservation of the animal is remarkable 1t had
apparently lain down die In the clay, and the pody
remaining undsturbed, the bones were not seateieu
In appearance the skeleton Is not forTnidaDle Inc
animal which - ssiioveG 70 have been fuu-grown'
was not when alive much larger than sheep or a
,earanR calf What first strikes the observer is its
remarkable preservation. The smallest bone appears
10 be preserved Apparently the animal sank down
IN the clay exhausted and went into its last sleep
The carcass wss not disturbed the bones were never
scattered and the skeleton gradually In tho course
of thousands Of years, transformed with the surround
ing earth INTO StOnc Inc SAUL nus sohfO
70 thst Of horse but is Of the general type OF
the rhnoceros There are no tusks, but slight pro-
tuberances which indicate an approach to them
Tho teeth have much the Same character as those
Of modern animals, Each Of the four feet has hvo
long and slender toes which have the general appear
snce of human fingers except that each Of the toes
Is capped with small perfectly shaped hoof. which
is copy in miniature Of horses hoof
The animal, Professor Whitfield says, fed on plants
a. has+ ohta IN the nr
the other Tho csrtIlaglnous portion OF the skull at
tho mouth is wanting but the general structure is
similar TO that Of the rhnoceros which has the long
pointed lip like the beginning of trunk for the pur-
pose Of better gathering in the grass foliage while
tho teeth in their structure are adapted in some
measure to the food Of carnverous animals If the
larger animals Of to-day had net then made their ap
pearance the Phenaoodus must have been in the habit
Of making his special meals snakes frogs and the
like. From the appearance Of his feet he was fat
footed animal but the toes also rested the ground
and aided him in climbing steep incliues.
Professor Cope, well as the European paleontoo-
gists regard this Skeleton of the most remark
able discoveries of recent years. more advanced
form OF this animal was obtained years ago In
France. and tho subject Of much speculation by
Cuvier, the naturalist 1t termed the Paleo-
therium. snd regarded the ancestral form of
the horse. Several other specimens have since been
discovered In good condition. showing that the AMI
NAL had reached the size of deer but its toes
were reduced TO three four. Professor Cope, as
the results OF his studies the early character OF
animals, indicated in paper which he published In
1881, that The older form Of these animals II ever
found would possess those distinctive traits which
are Indicated I'm THIS specimen OF the Phenacodus,
which he has since obtained. The stratum In which
this FOSSIL found belongs 10 the early Eocene or
the Lower Tertiary period In the first OF which the
remains OF mammals have been obtained The time
OF their existence Is calculated by geologsts any
whore between 100000 and 100000 years ago, so
small a matter as 100000 years either way making
little difference.
The Phenacodus DR.. Cope regards as the distinct
of the higher forms Of animals In succeed
ing ages the larger animals like the elephant and
GIRAFFE were developed from II, and the different
surroundings and conditions led to the growth Of
plantigrade animals like the bear the carnivora like
the leopard, and the lion and hoofed animals like the
horse and deer all Of these branches developing some
Of the minor traits which were possessed by the
original type. When the new building OF the Museum
of Natural History Is completed, Professor Whitfield
expects TO for his department complete col
lection Of fossils showing the development OF these
branches of animal life far science has yet been
able to indicate them.