The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-08-12
RARE FOSSILS FOUND.
New York Museum of Natural History
Makes Discoveries in Egypt.

A collection of some of the rarest fos-
sis ever brought to this country from
northern Egypt is expected to arrive in
this city in a few days. With these
added, according to the officials of the
institution. the museum will have the
largest and most complete collection of
fossils in the world.
The exploring party left New York on
January s, under the direction of Prof
H. F. Osborne, vice president of the
museum and Walter Granger and Geo.
Olsen, members of the museum staff
Arrived in Cairo, Egypt, a month later,
the explorers engaged twenty Egyptians
to assist them, and the next day the ex-
petition began it's journey to the Fayum
Desert, seventy miles away, arriving
there on February 10.
The Fayum Desert is situated a few
miles from the Nile Valley. Prof. Os-
borne outlined the work for his men and
stayed there a month and then left his
assistants to complete the exploring
while he came to New York. Mr. Gran
ger and Mr.. Olsen then explored the
desert until May %, when, having COM
pleted the collection, they started for
home, arriving few days ago. The col
lection was put into twenty-seven large
packing cases and shipped on a freight
steamer, which IS expected in this city
some day next week.
Some of the rare discoveries of the ex-
pIorers they brought along with them
office yesterday. 1t is a fossil crab which
he found in the Mokkatan Hills, which
form part of the east bank of the Nile
and is said to be over a million years
old. The crab was imbedded in lime
stone, but its claws and fins may be
distinctly seen. 1t is the only one of it's
kind in this country, the museum au-
thorities say, and the third one In the
world. The other two are in museums
in Europe.
The main object of the expedition was
to seek the ancestor of the elephant. A
very important find was that of the
ancestral elephant known as the
palaeomastodon. The skeleton is not
complete, but the skull. the lower jaw.
leg and feet bones and several vertebrate
were found. A thorough search was
made for the missing bones, but with
no success. According to Mr. Granger
this animal dates back more than mil
lion years.
Another important fossil found was
that of skull of an arsinoitherium,
which takes it's name from Queen
Arsinoe, who reigned 316 B. c. The skull,
which Is very rare is the only one in
this country. and there are only two in
the world. They are in European mus
Gums, The bones of the body and legs
of this animal have never been found.
Biologists, after many years of explor-
ing for this specimen, have never so
much as found a bone or a foot or toe.
Among other fossils in the collec-
ton are the bones of the ungulates
and rodents. 1t is the first time that
the fossil rodent was ever found in
Egypt, but many have been found in
other parts of Africa. Several skulls
of the ancient crocodile were found
their heads being three to four feet
long. Judging from the size of the
skulls, according to Mr.. Granger, the
bodies must have been from twenty
to twenty-five feet long
Speaking of the ages of the fossils
Mr.. Granger, said biologists hold that
where the bones of animals are not
complete and can not be made COM
plete they must have lived two mill
lion years ago.
phant," said Mr.. Granger, "is a hard
task. With the mammals a wonder
full change takes place in each sue
cessive period. Unlike the mammals
the crab hasn't changed for the last
million years. Even reptiles have
shown little change since the earliest
known period.
we are particularly interested in
the skull of the arsinoitherium be-
cause of its rarity and age. The ar
slnoitherium existed long before the
crab, and must have lived more than
three million years ago, Nearly one
hal1 or the collection consists of bones
or the skull of this animal. In the col
lection of these fossils we have over
nVe hundred specimens.
The Museum has now the largest
and rarest collection of fossils in the
world. Before we began expforfnr
the Survey Department OF Egypt ex-