Iditarod pioneer., 1915-05-22
SCIENTISTS DOUBT MANS
 ANTIQUITY IN AMERICA

The determination of the age of the earll- est human skeletons found on the American continent is of great interest. Until few wears ago North America was supposed to offer the most valuable evidence in this re- gard, though the bureau of Amerlcan eth n0logy declared in 1907 that mo specimen had come to light in the northern continent which from the standpoint of physical an thropology represented other than relatively modern man." At that time some Zap parently epoch-making discoveries were re ported from the Logoa Santa Caves of Bra gil. together with numerous finds of bones and cultural objects in Argentine
 As a result the attention of the world was attracted to these places and there was d renewal Of the story of Atlantis, the origin and descent of the human race being traced from very primitive anthropold forms Of South America More recently interest has reverted to North America from the dls- coverv of human remains in an asphalt de- post at Rancho La Brea in Southern Cali fornia. A preliminary report on these was read before the Museum of History Science and Art of Los Angeles, June II, 1914, by John c. Merriam.
 The bureau of American ethnology was so much interested in the South American finds that two experts were sent to conduct an impartial investigation. The conclusion was that the human remains from the Logoa Santa caves could not be accepted without further and more conclusive proofs as be- longing to a race which lived COntempOr- aneausy with the extinct species ot anlmaiS found in the same caves. A similar un- favorable conclusion was reached regarding the antiquity of the skull taken from the harbor of Buenos Ayres The specimen was taken from the oozy bed of the river when the worl,men were eXcavating for the drydcck at Buenos Ayres.
 in geologic age according to Professor Ameghino, who wrote about it, it was a remnant of the Lower Pliocene, and was older than the famous Neanderthal skull. Careful examination, however, failed to re veal any evidence which would justify its classification as representative ot specles of ancient prmatics, premeClate forerunnerS of the human being. Every feature shows it To be portion of the skull of man him elf Ii bears no evidence even ot having b,lcnged to an early or physically prlml- tive man. but to a well-developed and phys icallv modern-like individual
 The conclusion of the report is that, while it Is not possible to give q definite estimate of the age of the skeleton found. 1t belongs to a distinctly modern period. It does not necessarily belong to the present historical period but cannot be considered aS having antedated 1t by many thousands of years, Merriam considers it well worth exhaustive scientific investigation, and the last word on the subject cannot be written until great deal more study has been gwen to the objects found The associations are with specimens distinctly later in age than the typical Rancho La Brea fauna, which come from very old geologic period. Ac- cording to Dr. A. L, hroeger the raclal characteristics do not differ decidedly from those of persons whose remains have been excavated in mounds on Santa Rosa island, off the coast of Southern California.
 While the question of antiquity is un- decided, every evidence which we have, says the Journal of the American Medical Association would seem to point Tn North as well as South America to the compara- lively recent origin or occurrence, geologl- cally speaking, of man on our continent. - St. Louis Globe Democrat.