New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-03-06
rur ORIGIN OF MAMMALS.
,nrrSsOR OSBORN TALKS ABOUT MANS
CREODONT ANCESTORS.


,ne.RplNG THE PARENTAGE OF HooFED
AID CARNIvoROUs ANIMALS. RODENTS
\ ,xeFg-T-EATERs MONKEYS AND MEN.
-,e ,sturalists OF fifty and hundred years
- wore content to note the characteristics Of
--,,us species OF animals and to classify them
| -, Genera groups and orders, without giving
,,v special attention to their derivation. But
,,c4 Darwin opened Up the question of descent
= ssrancin1, certain brilliant and somewhat
-,-tlinc theories science has been suffering
Ann = chronic passion for genealogical research
n.oloytsts biologists. paleontologists and other
.ogists have been exhuming and discussing
.ssls with the same fervid enthusiasm with
xsich people in other circles of society endeavor
n trace back their ancestry to the New-Am-
ccniam period Of Colonial history. to the May
.ove- or to the Roman Conquest.
IN these jealous investigators the slant OF
,rebead the relative width and length of
,sul n small protuberaDce on a thigh bone or
he rear end of a Jaw for the attachment OF
ruscle even extra tooth or solitary wrihKle
n tooth is a matter OF as profound significance
a. a town record of births and marriages.
revolutionary muster-roll. a paragraph out or
NJ Brett or an almost undccpherable inscription
n some moSs-coverod tombstone. BY such signs
IA the experts trace back the lineage of exist
M types Of animal life and also the relation of
l.,s fossil forms 10 earlier ones. AS yet 10 be
,r-e the family tree is far from complete. There
no many gaps in the elaborate genealogical
chart which these inquirers are compiling or
assisting 10 compile; and there is not always per
lien ST 81
e ancestral and which is derived. Nevertheless.
eeady progress is being made from decade to
decade. and there i. no telling how soon miss
ng link may Toe found TO complete this or that
portion Of this fascinating patchwork puzzle.
Al meeting Of the American Society OF
yaturaliss held in Ithaca a few weeks ago
Professor Henry +. Osborn. Of New-York City,
Who IS widely and favorably known for his par
tcipatiop in such researches discussed the ORR
Tin Of mammals The late Professor Cope he
eved that the carnivorous animals are derived
from q fossil stock known as creodonts. OF
which al least five families are known Inc
.reod0nts IL should be observed, had shorter
legs duller claws and less brain than the carniv-
ora and therefore were much less dangerous
Creatures Matthews assigns the same ancestry
70 the rodents. which il is hardly necessary 10
sav are gnawing animals, like rats, mice ana
s1uirrels The same authority. by the way,
makes the creodOnts the progentors OF the
sdsntatos The latter name means tooth
ess" which is not an exact definition of all the
animals 20 which II is applied. The South
American ant-eater. for instance. is wholly devoid
q. teeth: but the armadillo. on the other hand
3 beautifully supplied with them.
y ma bppn
sooe deal OF attention recently to certain ancient
ungulates The ungulates have hoofs, either
sold or subdivded Some Of them have an odd
lumber II toes some an even number ana some
1ike the fossil amblypods) had five toes on
The front feet and four behind The very ancient
o-der Of condylarthra, Some OF whose MOTT"
American representatives are thought TO pe an
rstors Of certain South American animals whose
fossil remains have lately been discovered, are
also classcd with the ungulates. professor w.
torn agrees with Cope in deeming IL propao'e
.ha, the unFulates are derived from the creo-
,onts Matthews has reached similar CON
,usion in regard TO a group known as tiilo-
.outa which have characteristics that remind
me Of unCulates, but also resemble the car
aiyOra and rodents.
Professor Osborn interprets the testimony no"
syafable rs placing the creodont type IN 'he
position which Huxley gave 10 the lnsectVora
a lSso-that of being the parent STOCK OF dIi
te other animals here named, and also OF 'he
'-irnaies. 70 which order belong man. Inc an
-hropod apes. the monkeys and lemurs. In MS
talk in Ithaca the other day, though ne uiu ho'
Indicate clearly at what point mans creoooh'
ancestors emerged from the reptiiian s'och
stich preceded them.
Other gaps in the genealogical chart however
we're speciie6 On that OCCASION There is stu
---a 4. H. n-ioin N the manatee