The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-06-18
BRONTOPS ROBUSTUS
IS ON VIEW AT YALE
Worlds Most Perfect Fossil
Mammal Is Mounted in the
Peabody Museum.
Is 3,OOO.O 600 YEARS OLD

>oh's's
eldest guest at her 2lsth commence
mont. which began to-day. was Bron-
t6ps Robustus. a member Of the Tita-
nothere family. who Is said to have
paced some three million birthdays and
for the ffst time Ia placed on view In
the Peabody Museum. II to several
months for the Yale perpetrators under
Hugh Glib to mount this latest addi-
tion to the Yale collection Of verte-
bfates. Notwithstanding that much time
was spent preserving and preparing the
bones when they were collected by the
late Prof. o. II. Marsh forty years
ago.
For many years this specimen has
bean regarded by paleontologists all
over the world as the most perfect
fossil mammal In existence and II has
been for a long time the ambition OF
Prof. Charles Schuchert. curator OF the
museum, and those associated with
him to have B%rontope Robustus re-
stored and given a place OF honor In the
collection Of vertebrates. III trouble
has been that he was too big for the
place, His fnal assignment TO a place
o. honor in the hall Of vertebrates has
Nniy been accomplished by the rearrange-
0ont Of some OF the other specimens.
The skeleton was found by Prof.
Marsh during his famous trip to the
Back Hills In 1874. That will be re-
menbered by scientists as the year
when the news came Of the discovery OF
foGsiis In the Bad Lands which lie In
Wat 10 now South Dakota. This was
ne expedition during which Prof.
Marsh encountered so much trouble
with Indians wha resented his invasion
~s--y. yIltN, .-tl,t tAas ra0l rdAd
e. their own exclusive territory. The
famous sitting Bull was appointed
finally BY the Indians to escort Prof
Marsh. known to them as the Bone
Chief," into their country. but this ar
fangement finally fell through and Prof.
Marsh made his memorable trip under
Tie cover Of darkness.
While the major part Of the skeleton
WNs exhumed that year. portions OF II
0epa found later on, some Of the feet
bones having been recovered as late
~ 1883.
In speaking to-day OF this example
Of the family which shows so well the
characteristic features OF the genus ana
spscies which IL represents, Prof. Rich-
ara Swami Lull. head OF the department
e vertebrate p~steonoology at Yale and
associate curator OF the Peabody Mu-
ooum. said;
VIC WIZ hue>
mammals belonging TO the eventoed un-
Gulates (order perisodactyla). Their
nearest living relatives are the rhiHoc-
0rooes, which are now confined TO the
on World. but formerly abounded In
America. T%itanotheres are first known
in the Eocene twind River formation)
n which the small hcrnless ancestors OF
~ present form are found.
1.-THE Yale specimen Just completed
1900 a NAR1
of these races. but no; the most ex-
trSme In specialization. Spiendidly en-
lowed With strength. weapons and brain
THAR extinction Dame with dramatic sud
AAfness IN middle Oligocene time, be-
cause the specialized character Of theiI
to>efl limited them to succulent hernia
eoous food. The Oligocene was a time
q Increasing aridity and a consequent
sprsad OF the harsher grasses and dwin'
ding Of herbaceous vegetation. hence
tns graxing animals such al the horses
ara camels rapidly increased and the
great browsing forms like the titano'
there's suffered racial death"
The height Of the skeleton at tht
dAoulders asu s feet 2L inche
while the length Is 10 feet cia inches
over all. This family. according &c
scientists, was a comparatively shor1
lived group and lived. as far as known
only In the middle western part OF Nortf
America
The most striking feature OF the res
storation. aside from the great size Of
the animal. is the skull. This Is sur
mounted In front by a pair OF massive
prominences. or horn cores, which ar
situated mainly on the frontal bones
The nasals contribute somewhat to theiI
: base In front, and the maxNlsries sup
port the outer face. These elevations
or horn cores, vary much In size aHC
shape. according TO the statement o
Prof. Marsh. According to his finding
they are always small In the females