The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-11-30
WE'VE GOT A new TRACHADON
NATTRtI HISFDRi w >ff =
LATEST IINU ~ NDNT VA.
Clears Up the Animal situation AZ ." the
Monster Nhirh >r'i 10 Roam out
Tarrr rhrrr N.IIun Year. t-o When
4 the Region, climate w. Tropical.

In the lat "tgnJ wears the NtucTiran
Museum OF Natural History has been
carrying on "Nten-.v" explorations iF the
Hell Cr,-.'k region OF the Rad lands ol Mon
tana. whore expaditi ~ls led hy BIrnum
Brown. who probably las more important
finds To his credi' han any other american
scientist. have proved highly successful.
and also have resulted IN some oG the
most valuable discoveries and acccssions
OF prehistoric animals, gigantic creatures,
who once stalked the earth 5000, OOO or
moro years ago.
Last summer Barnum Brown. who has
returned recently from the West ON hn
exploring expedition IN the Bad Lands,
practically accomplished the ultimate
winding up OF the work carried on nv
the museum IN the Laramie formation
IN Montana. where most Of tho Ing finds
have been, made His mission vas 10
clear up the work begun m the summer
OF lQ1sI As a result the museum has been
rdt6idedly successful IN being able to re-
construct and mount all the chief forms
Of the dinosaur existing IN the early ages.
Tho latest discovery Of interest 80
science achieved by Mr Brown is the
skeleton OF trachadon. an unusually
complete specimen Of one OF thess mon
sters Of the Laramie cretaccous period.
couservatively estimated To- ba OOO. 900
or moro years ago. The trachadon sksl-
eton IN complete. from the skull back
to the mid-section Of the tail and in
cludes tho ribs Roth girdlcs and tho
fore and hind legs are complete. with tho
exception of the phalanGes The museum
has already two skeletons Of the tralchadon
in its collection. but the recent find - per
haps more complete than anv other sD"ci-
men found in the great western section
OF the country known as the Bad Lands
The trachadon is not exclusively
American As might be- supposed, for a
few representative Of this species have
been found in the rocks nf tn" N"sLden
age In England and Hungary says Mr..
Brown, but they reached tEeIr uaNl-
mum development IN rAmerIr- vrer"
they were widely Distributed over the
Eastern and Western United States and
southwestern Canada
PLANT remains. leaves. fruits and wood
are sometimes found with the fuss.li7"t
bones. and by comparing them with
modern plants We are abb" "a determine
with considerable accuracy the climatic
conditions Of the past geologic age
Palm leaves. fig fruits and banana leaves
have been found with trachahons in
Montana. which shows that the climate 81
the United States As Tar north H. the
Canada country was from temperate 10
sub-tropical at the close Of 'he Gre
taosous period Ii il concluded that
Montana was sub-tropicai The tracha-
dops were aquatic dinosaurs. and spent
most OF their time in fresh water lagoons.
which were then numerous over the low
lands Of the interior. Their remains have
been found III sea depoSits that were
formed near the shores.
1T In not a difficult matter 30 let the
imagination drift back into IN" pre-
historic ages TO picture one Il these
sylvan marshes of the Cretaceous period
with stately palms bordering inland lakes.
the rapacious tyrannosaurIs. king Of the
heah eating dinosaurs. lurking among
the trees TO capture n meal. the -racha-
don disporting out IN deep water. their
only safeguard against foe-
These animals combine some anatomi-
cal characters OF both lizards and croco-
dies. but have no living relatives OF
descendants. They were Kangaroo
shaped. with long hind legs and reduced
forelegs. and long. powerful swimming
tail The peculiar expanded pi! re-
sembles a duck bill. and was covered
with n horny mass. denticulate in form.
which was probably used in gathering
vegetable food.
The teeth situated back of the Jaws are
tho most highly specialized known The
dinosaur was equipped with about 900
teeth altogether. that is about $40 teeth
to each jaw The recent specimen Sc
cured by Mr. Brown makes the knowledge
Of tho anatomy OF the dinosauT complete
IL will measure when moun-sd about
thirty five feet IN height
Usually the skeletons Of the dnosaur
are found in fragments: therefore the
latest find is all the more important =.
because II supplements parts NJ the skele-
tons discovered on previous expeditions
The record of finds credited 10 the
museums expeditions i'll the Western
country during the last eight years in
cl.ides two skeletons of the tyrannosaurns
which supplement each other. making
complete the knowledge OF this group !;
the trachadOns, of which there are two
skeletons. besides number OF more or
less complete specimens giving tho mu-
aeum sufficient data TO thoroughly COM
plete it- knowle ledge Of IN. group Of this
species. and including IN" skin. thus Civ
ing good picture OF IN" animal "a IL
existed millions OF years ago
Besides thss. specimens the ia scum
has practically complete 'h- skeleton
and three skulls OF the r-ic-raJOI,-. and
sufficient supply material - mount this
skeleton. These three sp"cirr"n- If ami
mails Of the Laramie Crr'aC"u'l- period
mark the elimination of diuo-a'I- If"
In addition the museum has part -
tho glyptodonlike dinosa,a. anS yIossu-
RVS, an armadilloliks animal, Including
The skull and major portions 81 thu back =
bones and ribs OF the skeleton. and also
an unde-cribed preden'ate dinosanr. Of
which all the parts have been obtained
With tho exception Of the skull
Another import ant find credited 80 tho
museum expedition IN tho Laramie
country - III. complete anatomy 81 the
cham p'Dsaurus. a gavIallike water AMI
NAL. 81 which there IL one specimen
Afr. Brown. Who has made most 81 the
important discoveries 81 big diuosaur
skeletons in the Bad Lands. was accom-
panied on his recent expedition by =. {.