The Colorado statesman., 1910-06-04

serpents. The creature whose skele-
ton reposes at the National museum
is zeuglodon.
From the tip of its tail to the tip of
its nose this skeleton measures 55 feet,
and, as nearly as can be estimated
from the contour of its ribs, it meas
ured from five to six feet through the
diaphragm. Its head is about six feet
long, which is considered exceptionally
small, for in the case of the skeleton
of a whale in the possession of the in
stitution which is really slightly
longer, the head measures almost 16
feet in length. The name zeuglodon is
not the one by which the creature was
first known. In 1882 a Philadelphia
scientist called it "basilosaurus," be
lieving it to be one of the reptile fam
lily. This, however, was discovered to
be wrong, as it is a mammal, and so
it was named zeuglodon from the
teeth which it possesses, that term sig
nifying yoke teeth. The zeuglodon's
back teeth are notched and are similar
to yoke.
The zeuglodon was found in Ala
the first creature of its kind to be
unearthed in that part of the country,
although it is among the few complete
specimens. Different parts of the skel-
etons of these creatures have been
found embedded in rocks by the ma
tives of that state. These bones have
been put to use as corner foundations
for rude shacks or as the central pieces
of fences, boards being placed across
them, thereby forming a primitive
means of bounding the land. 1t was
not until someone above the average
intelligence displayed by the poorer in
habitants appeared that the Smith
sonian museum ever became aware of
the existence of this deposit in the
earth in that region. DIR. Charles
Schuschert, now of Yale university, but
formerly with the Smithsonian mu-
scum, went down to Alabama and
looked over the situation. A second
expedition was made two years later,
the result of the two trips being the
skeleton which is now being prepared
for exhibition.
The skeleton is being prepared in
the division of vertebrate paleontol-
ogy, under the guidance of ]. w. Gid
ley, custodian of the fossil mammals
of that division. AS the result of care
full study and thorough knowledge of
fossil mammals Mr.. Gidley and his as
sociates have been able to come to
some interesting conclusions in regard
to this creature. The most startling
of these conclusions to an unscientific
mind is the fact that it is estimated
that the zeuglodon lived some 100000
years ago. This Is the reason that the
skeleton, having been found in Ala
bama, does not present any great phe
nomenon to the present owners, as it
is accounted for in the fact that what
is Alabama today was then nothing
but water, and that the zeuglodon, hav-
ing died in that portion of the sea,
sank into the deposit at the bottom.
1t was, therefore, brought to the top
by whatever means converted that
portion of the world into land.
AS far as the length of time be-
tween the period when the zeuglo6op
was alive and TO-DAY is concerned, fhe
scientists freely a-5mit that it is simply
matter of guesswork. This, however,
does not mean that the date of its ex-
istence is set with the same random
as though it had been done by guess
work on the part of one not scientist.
Guesswork with them is a matter of
ceaseless calculation and study, and
although it may appear that 100000
or 100000 years ago is rather far
period at which to put the date, Mr..
Gidley has in his division the skele-
tons of mammals which, it is believed,
lived 100000 or 100000 years ago.
An interesting fact is that the earlier
mammals are all remarkably small.
The labor demanded in preparing
skeleton of this kind for exhibition
purposes is enormous. Each bone has
to have the rock with which 1t is sur
rounded removed. This is not only
difficult piece of work, but in the case
of the zeuglodon 1t was even more diff
fcult, as in many cases the persons at
work removing the rock did not know
the exact outline of the bone, and were
unable to tell when they were upon
it. After the work of removing the
rock from the skeleton had been COM
pleted, over a year being consumed,
the next step was to place it in posi-
ton. This was done, and for some
time 1t was exhibited in this manner.
Fifty-five feet of skeleton stretched
out on a level platform does not
awaken the imagination of those famil-
lar with mammals of the sea, and SO
the zeuglodon was removed and will
not be seen again until 1t has been
placed in lifelike position, with ribs
and fiippers complete. Even the sim
pie matter of giving the zeuglodon
lifelike poise is consuming consider
III. 80 NJ HidIau,o firna