Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1922-07-06

After them came larger group OF
animals called amphibia, giants in
size and diversified in characteristics
able TO live either in or out of the
water. They were the first encroach-
ment of animal life on the land
masses. About this time came the
growth of vegetation on the land
and the development of almost limit
less swamp forests. Moses, lichens
and fern-like plants rivalling modern
trees in height and foliage made up
these ancient forests. AS myriads
of these huge plants reached the end
of their living cycle they fell in the
swamps to be preserved and delivered
to us in the form of anthracite and
bituminous coal
Still another age, 400 million years
later than the origin, first cells
brought with it the dawn of the rep
tiles; creatures who dominate land,
water and air. Countless species de-
veloped as a result of their able
adaptation to the varied environments
of the time.
These reptiles varied from hollow
boned animals, winged and bird-like
in appearance, to kangaroo-like mon
sters weighing thirty-two tons.
Lizards, turtles, snakes, etc, are
the only remaining species of these
monarchs of so million years ago.
From the reptiles developed the
birds, carniverous animals at first
armed with teeth, but feathered. Then
came the mammals, progenitors of the
wild and domesticated animals of our
earth today
Most of our present animals existed
about 80 million years ago only in
an exaggerated or more unfamiliar
form. Can you picture our early
horses, no larger than a collie dog
and with as many toes, living in
swamps? To follow the horse ev-
olution from a swamp animal through
the forest period to the plains animal
in the dawn of man offers a theme
of such interest that it cannot be
rivalled.
The racial life-history of any one
of large group of familiar animals
whose existance we accept in such a
matter of fact manner can prove as
enthralling as an Arabian Nights
tale.
1t must be remembered that during
these million years of unfolding life
that the land masses or continental
forms We're ever changing also. In
one age a sea would predominant !;
adding thousands of feet of sediments
which in later age was overrun
with life when the submergence had
waned Again and again subsistence
and emergence would occur until we
in our present day exist in a period of
emergence. Hudson Bay, Puget
Sound and many others represent
minor encroachments of the sea on
our continental mass.
About 200 thousand years ago the
change in climate became so swift
that as the air grew cooler great
amount of precipitation accumulated
as snow fell in the northern parts of
our own continent Gradually great
snow fields developed into a vast
glacier ice-sheet that spread towards
the south until it invaded all parts of
the United States 1t went as far
south as the Ohio and Missouri Rivers
in the Middle West,and below Puget
Sound along the Western coast. This
phenomenon was repeated four times,
with three interglacial periods and
our own existing time
In these interglacial periods. each
of probably 10000 years duration, an
imal life flourished in the areas pre-
viously overrun and secured out by
the great ice plows of all hands
We can even now find remnants of it's
work in polished rock surfaces and
boulders lake basins, carved valleys
and heaps of illy-sorted soil, pebbles
and boulders.
1t was in the 3rd interglacial period
$4,000 years ago that we find early
man. He is first recognized in
Europe in and about the basin now
containing the Mediterranean Sea
The bleak cold climate required this
early ancestor to take advantage of
all shelter and he quickly learned the
advantages of cave life,as a protection
against the climate as well as the
hazards OF wild animals against which
any weapon he possessed was futile
He used a fire at the cave mouth
along with a barricade. Behind this
he lived and stored his food. He
could only hunt small and indefen-
sible creatures with his wooden
spears and clubs and flint headed
axes. AS consequence he led the
life of scavenger, as he followed the
big beasts Of the period He foraged
on them when they became sick or
wounded in combat or begged in a
swamp, He may even have been sue
cessful with crude pitfalls or traps.
AT any rate he carried the great bones
back to the cave and fire where he
could crack them for their marrow
on winter evenings
The women of the tribe gathered
the skins, dressed them and converted
them into garments.
This man was right handed with
most Of the senses better developed
than ours. His brain was as large
as ours but differently developed. He
by sounds and in
Elections but probably carried on no
due to lack of language.
The following hypothetical word