The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1920-10-24
Scientists Resume Age-Old Search
For The Missing Link Connecting
Modern Man With Prehistoric Ape

New York. Oct. 2S.-To search for
the most primitive Human remains,
the missing link" between man and
the apes will be the object of
great expedition to be sent out by
The American Museum of Natural
History in cooperation with The Am
erican Asiatic Association and Asia
Magazine. The expedition will be
the greatest of its kind which has
ever been organized by any institu-
ton in the world and will work for
five years with a large party of
scientists in various remote regions
of central Asia 1t will be under the
direction and leadership of Mr.. Roy
Chapman Andrews. Associate Curator
Of Mammals in The Museum of Nat
ural History, who for the last ten
years has been carrying on geological
explorations in various parts of the
Far East. The expedition will be
financed by a fund of s250,00o, which
IS being provided by The American
Museum of Natural History, The
American Asiauc Association and
Asia Magazine, and the private sub
scriptons of Mrs. Willard Straight,
Messrs. J. P. Morgan, George F..
Baker, Childs Frick, w. A. Harri-
man and Mr.. and Mrs Charles L..
Bernheimer.
When in the year 1891 a Dutch
army surgeon, Eugene Dubois, while
excavating for fossils in central Java
discovered near Trinil part of a skull,
TWO molar teeth and thigh bone, NJ
had unearthed one of the most per
picking conundrums in the study
of human ancestry. Were the re-
mains those of an extremely early
type of prehuman manlike animal?
If so. this ape-man must have lived
approximately five hundred thousand
years ago. This momentous discov-
cry has been supplemented by that
Of other indisputably human remains
OF which the most ancient, found in
southern Germany, is the jaw Of the
so-called Heidelberg man who may
he two hundred and fifty thousand
years old.
With the exception of the Java
specimen, all fossil human frag-
ments have been discovered in Eu-
rope or England. Nevertheless. the
leading scientists Of the day believe
that Asia was the early nome of the
human race and that whatever light
may be thrown upon the origin OF
man will come from the great central
Asian plateau.
The subject is one that makes a
The causes that led TO mans evolu-
ton from the apes, how that evolution
was first accomplished what primi-
tive man looked like and how he
lived-these are all subjects upon
which there is much theory, but as
yet very little fact.
Leaving about the first Of next
February, headquarters for the ex-
pedition will be established in Peking.
The first year will be devoted TO
studies in palaeontology and zoology
in China; the second year the work
will be carried into Mongolia and a
geologist will be added TO the field
staff: the fourth and fifth years
are archaeologists and anthropologists
will be sent out which the biologists
and palaeontologists will carry on
work in various parts Of Asia.
The Importance of this region long
has been recognized, but no systematic
study on q large scale ever has been
attempted, and there is no similar
area of the inhabited surface of the
earth about which so little is known.
Whether or not human remains are
found it will yield rich collections in
all branches of science.
The material will be exhibited in
the proposed Hall OF Asiauc Life in
the American Museum of Natural
History, which it is hoped the city
will add to the Museum buildings
in the near future. At the present
time If one wishes seriously &c
study Asiatic zoology one must &c
to the British Museum Of London
II is hoped that this expedition viii
bring 10 New York the greatest
natural history collections which thC
world has ever seen and will make
New lOfh lne center VI ASldNI'
scientific activity.
one Of the reasons why so little
is known Of the fossils Of China an,
interior Asia is that material of thii
sort is of considerable value to th'
Chinese. Fossils are supposed L
have wonderful medicinal qualities
They are known as dragons bones
and whenever fossil yielding 10
cality has been found 1t is CAREFUL!
concealed. Nevertheless during tn
last three years, Dr. ]. G. Ander
son, mining adviser TO the Chimes
Republic, has been carrying on in
vestigations on behalf OF Swedish in
stluutions and has made some re
markable discoveries. Dr. Ander
son IS practically the first scienus
who has ever collected fossils per
sonally in China.
We know almost as little abou
some OF the living natives Of Asi
as about the fossil history Of th
country. Long before the Chimes