The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1889-04-25
p4eNAooous pR,m<vus.
Discovery Of . Rsmarltnble Skeleton In
the Wind River valley, w. T.

the wind River valley, wy. +.
Prof Whitfield, the curator of the
Department Of Geology in the Ameri-
can Museum Of Natural History, has
just received a new addition to his de.
partmont This is cast Of one Of the
earliest mammal fossils which science
has yet discovered. The original Of
the cast is the property Of Prof. T. D.
Cope, the paleontolpgist Of Philadel-
phia, and the cast ittelf, the first one
made, was presented to the museum
by DR.. Robert H. Lamborne. of this
city. The interest in this specimen is
keen, owing to the fact that the fossil
is the skeleton of an animal which is
regarded as the parent types OF all
animals of to-day which are distin-
guished by having hoofs. Its scien-
tific name is Phenacodus-primmvus.
The fossil was discovered several years
ago in the Wind River valley in
Wyoming Territory, and was after
ward secured by Prof. Cope, who
learned Of the circumstances.
The preservation Of the animal is
remarkable. 1t had apparently lain
down to die in the clay, and the body
remaining undisturbed, the bones were
not scattered. In appearance the
skeleton is not formidable. The ami.
NAL, which is believed to have been
full grown, was not. when alive, much
larger than sheep or a yearling calf.
What first strikes the observer is its
remarkable preservation. The small
est bone appears to be preserved. Ap-
parently the animal sank down in the
clay exhausted and went into its last
sleep. The carcass was not disturbed,
the bones were never scattered and
the skeleton was gradually, In the
course OF thousands Of years, trans
formed with the surrounding earth in
to stone. The skull has some resem-
blance to that Of horse, but is more
OF the general type OF the rhinoceros.
There are no tusks, but slight pro-
tuberances which indicate an ap-
proach to them. The teeth have
much the same character as those OF
modern animals. Each of the four
feet have five long and slender toes,
which have the general appearance Of
human fingers, except that each OF the
toes is capped with small. perfectly
shaped hoof, which is copy in mini
ature of horses hoof.
The animal, Prof. Whitfield says,
fed on plants and flesh, as it was best
able to procure the one or the other.
The cartilaginous portion Of the skull
at the mouth is wanting, but the gen.
eral structure is similar to that OF the
rhinoceros, which has the long, point
ed lip like the beginning OF trunk
for the purpose Of better gathering in
the grass or foliage, while the teeth in
their structure are adapted in some
measure to the food of carnivorous an
imals II the larger animals OF to-day
had not then made their appearance,
the Phenacodus must have been in the
habit of making his special meals on
snakes, frogs and the like From the
appearance OF the feet, he was q fiat
footed animal, but the toes also rested
on the ground and aided him in climb
ing steep inclines.
Prof Cope, as we'll as the European
paleontologists, regard this skeleton
as one OF the most remarkable discov-
cries Of recent years. A more ad-
vanced form OF this animal was OBJ
tanned some years ago in France, and
was the subject Of much speculation by
Cuvier, the naturalist. 1t was termed
the Paleotherium, and was regarded
as the ancestral form OF the horse.
Several other specimens have since
been discovered in good condition,
showing that the animal reached the
size OF deer. but its toes were re-
duced to three or four. Prof. Cope, as
the results OF his studies on 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 in this speci-
men Of the Phenacodus, which
he has since obtained. The
stratum in which the fossil was
found belongs to the early Eocene, or
the Lower Tertiary period, in the
first of which the remains of NAM
mails have been obtained. The time
of their existence is calculated by
geologists as anywhere between 400.-
900 and 100000 years ago, so small a
matter as 100000 years either way
making little difference.
The Phenacodus DR.. Cope regards
as the distinct ancestor Of the higher
forms of animals In succeeding ages
the larger animals. like the elephant
and giraffe, were developed from it,
and the different surroundings and
conditions led to the growth Of planti-
grade animals like the bear. the
carnivora like the leopard, and the
lion and hoofed animals like the horse
and deer, all OF these branches de-
veloping some Of the minor traits