Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-03-14
DR.. J. PERCY MOORE
On the Pieslosaurus and Extinct Animal.


THE chances that living plcsiosaurus
L has been discovered in South America
are exceedingly remote. according to DIR. j.
Percy Moore, professor Of zoology at the
University of Pennsylvania and correspond:
ing secretary Of the Academy of Natural
Sciences.
"The authentic data about the alleged
discovery Of n living plesosaurus, said
DR.. Moore, ''are so limited that 1t Is I'M
but the scientific men of this country are
skeptical to the point of disbelief that such
a thing has actually happened.
while the scientific men are always
willing to admit a discovery If one has
actually been made. still at the same lime
do not see how this one can possibly be
true. There may be. and probably Is, some
other large animal in the part of South
America where the alleged plcsiosaurus. was
found. but ms far as I can see there is little
likelihood that the animal is genuine speci-
men OF a species long extinct so far as Is
known to science.
Extinct for Millions Of Years
1T is generally accepted by scientific men
that the plesiosaurus has not existed since
the Mcsozoic era, or. roughly speaking, for
about ten millions Of years Conditions as
they exist now as compared with those
which are believed to have existed at that
time would perhaps not absolutely pre-
clude the existence of such an animal now,
except that in the genera progress OF evo-
luton the types of animals which existed in
that period have been totally changed.
The pleslosaurus was marine animal,
or rather reptile, and all the types which
existed witI it are now totally extinct
Therefore, the presumption Is that nothing
Of the kind could have continued to exist
down to the present time
There ia no authentic case of the exist.
cnce Of any other type of animal which
hourished at that time, which in itself makes
doubtful Furthermore. the conditions under
which this animal was living at the time
when it was found are radically different
from those under which the genuine plcs-
osnurus lived.
las I said. the plcsiosaurus was ma
rine reptile. and therefore its natural en-
vronment was the sea. History and science
do not show any case In which these great
antediluvan reptiles lived in mountain
lnkes, as was the case with the South
American discovery. and so far as | can see
the animal could not live in such an en-.
vironment. certainly not unless 1t had
greatly changed in the ages which have
elapsed since it was known to have lived.
Causes Of Extinction Unknown
VERY few scientists will venture to ex.
press definite views on the reasons for the
extinction of animals of bygone ages, be.
cause these reasons are not definitely
known. Thus. for example, we do not know
the reasons for the extinction Of many ami :
mails OF far more recent period than that
in which the great reptiles existed.
There IL the case of the wild horses Of
this continent. We know that the wild
horse originated here. but they are not the
+ proyenltors of our horses of today The wild
horses of our own and the Immediately pre-.
ceding generation are descended from the
horses which were brought to this country
by the Spanish explorers and which escaped
and multiplied in the wilderness. Yet fossil
remains show that wild horses existed in
this country thousands of years ago, and
| that they underwent considerable progress.
They were practically the same as on,
| horses, although there was some difference
| In the teeth structure and some other do T..
tails, but they were, nevertheless, true
| horses.
"These wild horses became extinct tbou-
| sands of years before the Spanish explorers
| came to this country and brought with them
what we're destined to become the proceni
tors of the later wild horse of America bu,
| what the reasons were for their disannoor
| ance from the earth no one definitely knows
And they were of far later period tb,r -
the great reptiles Of which the plesiosa,,r"',,,
| was type. SO If 1t Is impossible for ms ~
| say what were the causes Of the disapneor p.
ance Of the wild horse, it would be- m,,cj
more difficult to attempt to formulate tL.
reasons for the disappearance Of the ssrIis, I.,
reptilian group.
1 dlecsyseEsd Y the lake Of South Americs A