The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1919-06-08

~ EVERYBODY with an inquiring mind
- who has watched the elephant at
- the circus or menagerie has won
dered how this enormous creature came
into existence; why it has such an exag-
gerated trunk instead Of nose, like other
animals; why it possesses many other
curious features, and why, with all these
pecuIiarities, it should be one of the most
intelligent of beasts.
Science has now answered all Of these
questions for us authoritatively. At the
same time it has proved the interesting
fact that America was the worlds greatest
breeding ground of primitive and prehis-
toric elephants. Fresh confirmation Of
this is contained in the following interest
ing announcement just sent out by the
American Museum, of Natural History of
New York:
'1The American Museum has acquired
from E. L. Troxell, Of Ann Arbor, a well
known collector, the first mountaDle sKel-
eton of a new species Of mastodon IN
earthed in the Tertiary rocks OF Northern
Texas. where the indications are that mas
todons of this kind lived in the Pliocene
Age, about 100000 years ago. The species
is regarded as a descendant OF race OF
European mastodons. In the western
Hemisphere, however, the long-jawed mas
todons attained a greater size than did
the European variety. This animal stood
eight feet high and its bones are very mas
sive"
This little announcement takes US back
to an age 100000 years ago and more
when America was overrun with almost
countless herds Of elephants, far more
numerous than the buffalo, which were to
swarm later. They became extinct quite
suddenly, and why they did so is also ex-
planned.
But before studying America as the
happy home of elephants, it Is interesting
to learn how the beast came into existence,
evolved and grew up, as the American
Museum and the chief American palaeon-
tolgists have traced the story.
Two million years ago the original an
cestor Of the elephants lived in ancient
Egypt. DR.. Edwin Hinckley Barbour, the
State geologist Of Nebraska, a great au-
thority on prehistoric elephants, says 1t
was in the Upper Eocene geological period,
while Professor R. s. Lull, Of Yale Uni
versity, places it a little later in the fol-
lowing period, the Lower Oligocene.
His remains have been found only
around the ancient Lake Moeris, now dried
up, in lower Egypt. Hence he has been
called the "Moeritherium." He was about
the size of hound dog, but more like a
pig or tapir in appearances; an active,
roofing little beast. He had a well-devel-
oped nose, but not larger than that Of a
pig. His upper canine teeth were fairly
prominent.
No one would have thought to look at
this little beast that he was to become the
ancestor Of all the mighty elephants and
TO people the whole world with his descen-
dants.
He was swamp dweller, Professor LulI
tells US, living upon the succulent semi
aquatic heritage that abounded on the
edges of the vast tropical lake This album
dance OF food caused successive genera
lions OF the Moeritherium to grow larger
Digging in the mud caused him to de-
Velop lower jaw to shovel up the
fodder, while the need of pulling I'D
thick roots made his tusks grow
longer and stronger. Thus he
was started on the way to be-
coming an elephant