Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1922-08-21
Prone That Asia Is the
Cradle OF Lite of World

port received from Mr.. Andrews, Dr..
Osborn a OF the fossil. 5depositst
This discovery gives the answer
to one OF the four great questions
which the expedition sought to solve:
namely, whether ancient Asia IL the
far west. Of North America to the
far east. 1t is a kind Of realisation
of a pleontologic Garden Of Eden
Of the birthplace, N Asiattc home
land, from which many Kinds OF rep.
tiles and mammals spread westward
and eastward.
THE existence Of such a center has
we have waited until 1922 to verify
it. This verificatjon has come with
unexpected audiences and with a
completeness beyond our fondest
hopes, and there still remain fou
years in which the great expedition.
under Roy Chapman Andrews will fill
out the Details"
Stumble ON Clues.
Mr.. Andrews report was made in
a letter dated May 9 at Urga, in up
per Mongolia. The party had set out
from Peking a month before. ravers-
ing the desert by motor truck toward
a caravan Of IS carnels with supplies.
which had been sent on ahead.
Halfway across Mongolia. between
Kalgan and Urga, the attention Of
the explorers was caught by some
interesting geological exposures. and
camp was made. While supper was
cooking. the three biologists Of the
Barley and Frederick Morris-began
prospecting, and within a few yards
Of camp. discovered some bones Of
din osaurs. This was the first discov-
cry Of giant reptiles in northern Asia.
The region promised to be SO in
teresting that Mr.. Andrews-left the
biologists at work and pushed on to
Turin, 1872 miles south of Urga, with
other members Of the party, to meet
caravan to Urga, planning to plunge
deeper into the heart Of Asia. But at
Urga he received a letter from the
fossil hunter-in-chief, Granger, tell
ing of such rich discoveries that he
hurried back.
The dinosaurs, remains Of which
were discovered in great p%rofusion,
Cretaceous period-the very close Of
the Age of Reptiles-and to be strik-
ingly similar to those of the Rockies
in America and those found in Eu-
rope.
On top of the dinosaur beds were
layers Of mammalian fossils, belong
ing to the dawn period Of mammal
fossils belonging to the Lower Mo-
Gene, or middle period, and mingled
with these were the remains Of a
giant mammal not found either in
Europe or North America, but SINH
lar to one discovered some years ago
in B~aluchistan, southwest India, and
dubbed Baluchitheium-the largest
land animal known to have existed.
Other findings included fossils of
rhinoceroses, immense tortoises, large
c%arnivorae, crocodiles and turtles n
enough others to make a Barnum
weep hat none such still live.
Il These bygone animals, said Mr..
Granger, bore unmistakable resem-
blance to those found in Wyoming,
including two kinds of ~1esh-eating
dinosaurs and a smaller running fell
low called the ostrich dinosaur.
A Dream Comes True.
There were other fossils, of the d.
nosaur known as the Iguanodonts-
a tall, two-legged ~herbivorous beast
to the New Jersey coast. :
Describing his trip, Mr.. Andrews
which ranged from southern sEngl4nd
! gle accident, anH as we approached
i the outskirts OF this Monaghan town,
we saw a large n decided
to amp Then I suddenly recognize
ed the American flag and realized
that 1t was the caravan Of the Amer
ical Museum Expedition. 1t had been
five weeks on the way from KalHan
and had just arrived one hou before
US. Pretty fine connection for a 100
mile journey across the plains, was
it not? We went over to the great
rocky outcrop and pitched our tents.
The arava followed and reached
our encampment one hour later. 1t
was an inspiring sight as the Is cam
els wound up from the plain with, the
American flag at the head. 1t made
me realize. as nothing else had, that
the Third Asiatic Expedition was
really an accomplished fact, that all
the long days and months Of pre-
paration in New York had resulted in
| this: II WIS a dream come trllan