Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1897-07-09

Skull, and arm bones, with SeVeral
teeth was found and presented to the
University of Denver. The creature
in life must have been seventy feet
long. Prof. Lee of the University thus
writes Of us: 1.-The specimen is a gift
to the university from John Keegan
Of Flagler. The manner in which it
was found is interesting. One day a
Mexican herdsman rode into Flagler
and reported that his horse stumbled
and fell over long string of bones.
The man picked up one Of the bones
as stone. He carried a piece to the
town, and Mr.. Keegan saw that the
bones might be Of scientific interest.
He drove to the place and found about
twelve feet of the vertebral column
lying on the ground, as it had lain
through countless thousands Of years.
There It had been left when the rock
decayed from around it. About four
feet of the tail was still embedded in
the solid rock This was carefully dug
out, and the whole skeleton preserved
by Mr.. Keegan, who sent it to the uni
versity. Mr.. Keegan reports that
while the specimen was in his posses
sion it was examined by several geo.
logists. From them we learn that the
bones are from the uppermost creta-
ceous formation of that region. The
place of preservation was too near the
division between cretaceous and terti-
airy rock that they could not determine
the age. Further study, however,
shows that the reptile is a cretaceous
form. During the cretaceous time, not
only the greater part Of Colorado, but
the greater part of the western half of
the continent, was shallow sea, dot
ted here and there with islands.
Those clumsy, overgrown monsters
which we are familiar with as in hab-
itants of the Denver region, had reach
ed their elimination, and were ready
to pass out Of existence forever as
soon as the new conditions were inau-
gurated at the end of the age. Among
these reptiles forms we find the an
cestors of the modern serpents. Dur
ing the cretaceous period the seas were
inhabited by long, snake-like reptiles,
called by Cope Pythonamorpha or
Mesasauria. He gives three genera
clidastes, platecarpus and mesasuras.
1t is in one of these genera or sea SER
penis that our monster must be placed.
It is difficult to locate 1t definitely, be-
cause so many OF the characteristic
parts are destroyed. I sent some of
the bones to the Department of the
National Geological Survey at Wash
the specimen is probably clidastes, al
though the jaw is more massive and
the teeth more compressed than in the
only specimens we have. l think that
you probably have one of the most
complete vertebral columns Of this
group of marine reptiles in existence.
The tail is particularly fine, and gives
me a much better impression of the
depth and compression Of this part of
the body. After careful examination
Of the published descriptions I was
led to the opinion that the species has
not been described heretofore.
"If one can imagine a long, slender
reptile, sometimes seventy feet in
length, not quite so lender as the mod
ern serpent, and having two pairs Of
short, paddle-like feet, one will have
a fairly good idea Of this class OF rep
tiles. They were great sea serpents
and were covered with bony scales, as
Prof Marsh has shown. have re-
ferred to them as the ancestors Of
snakes; the form of the body was very
snake-like and the long Jaw shows a
mechanism similar to that Of serpents
which makes it possible to swallow the
food whole. Their habits seem to
have been serpent-like, and they lived
during the age Immediately preceding
the introduction of true snakes. 1t is
an easy step from an animal like cid
astes to the modern serpent.