Graham guardian., 1900-10-05
MAMMOTH REMAINS.
Reported Finding of a Skull of Great
Size in San MnteO County,
California.

The evidences of life belonging to
the preglacial age are rare in Califor-
MIA; still a specimen has been discov-
cred near the coast in San Nateo coun-
ty, if the statement contained in a
Halfmoon bay dispatch may be relied
upon. A well-preserved skull of the
mammoth is said 10 have been recently
taken out of the bed of Pilarcitos creek
by some boys who were employed in
hauling sand at point about a mile
east of Halfmoon bay. The skull is
reported to be about five feet in length
and portions of the tusks a foot long
are attached to it and are six inches
in diameter at the junction with the
bone. These extend into the cerebr'
cavity. Bones of the mammoth were
also found in the neighborhood some
years ago.
The discovery Of these remains, says
the San Francisco Chronicle. is no
proof that the mammoth ever wan
dered at large during life in these. par
The evidences are. of course, indieFt
able that great herds of these pice 'a
cial beasts pastured in the valley oi
Yukon and on the shores of Sill n
and the Behring sea. During some siN
lent convulsion of nature great ice
sheets enveloped the far north. ard
many of their caTcasses have GCcf
preserved therein up to the presCni
time, hides, hair. flesh, bones and tusEe
being found in perfect condition. Mines
of mammoth ivory were profitaU,y
worked in Alaska long before the terri
tory became a field for the search OF
gold. These mammoth remains hart
been discovered in the placcrs Of tie
Klondike and at other points in ;Ec
frozen banks of the Yukon and its tri,,-
utaries. There would be nothing i'm
probable in the assumption that Il (
mammoth remains now unearthcd on
Pilarcitos creek near the shores a.
Halfmoon bay had been deposited Il
the point where found by a stranded ice
foe brought down from the far NORTH
at some remote period by the ocean
current which sweeps down the west
ern coast of the continent.
The only evidences Of the mammoth
life which once inhabited the earth
found anywhere in the vicinity were
the footprints Of the mamracth s,o.it
which were uncovered in the Carson
(Nev.) sandstone quarries. Wyominr
is the most fertile field on ti.is caufi-
nent, outside of Alaska. fer the fcyan
remains Of the gigantic animals whicl
existed here in past geological arss
The University of Wyoming has ST.
cured from the sandstones of tha.
state the largest and most perfect ars'
complete collection Of these fossils in
existence.
If any of these gigantic animals ever
had their habitat in California. thr
changes which ice and flood ard cth
agencies have since produced In
swept away all traces of them. Thr
Calayeras skull of prehistoric man
which Bret Harte immortalizCd In vcrg,
belongs to the world of fiction. net q.
fact. Even though we are short cr
fossil remains, it might not require
much straining of the imagiuaticn tn
assume that the diminutive horned
toad of the southern counties is t.
degenerate descendant of the horne
dinosaur, which ranged from 10 TO -
feet in length and whose fossil rennuS
have been eXcavated from the plains
Of Laramie, or that the nimble lizarG
found everywhere in the state is IL,
direct descendant of the gigantic
saurians of the reptilian age.