Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1923-05-21
STRANGE ANIMAL LIFE IN
KANSAS AE0NS AGO
State Has Supplied Museums of
World With Remarkable
Remains.
From the Kansas City Star.

From the Kansas City Star.
Early Kansas animals lived many
thousands, some of them millions, of
years ago. The chalk cliffs Of the
western part of the state tell the true
story of a remarkab BILE animal life-a
story that shows many wonderful
animals were peculiar to and limited
70 the regions now within the limits
Of the state. Some of our large
groups seem to have originated there.
Geology has proved that in real
early times western Kansas, parts OF
Colorado, Wyoming. South Dakota
and Nebraska were covered by large
inland sea full of many kinds of semi
tropical plants and animal life. Along
the shores and on the rich and well
watered plain (the Rocky mountains
had not yet arisen) roamed and
grazed, or hunted. many other ami
mails. Many remarkable incidents are
clearly recorded by the bones. teeth.
tracks and imprints left in the rocks.
This L. "Somer Fish.
In the very early time there was a
very big fish similar. to the noted
game fish. the tarpon. of our southern
coast. He was twelve to fourteen
feet long and had a broad, powerful
tail and numerous sharp conical
teeth. two inches long, in the front Of
each jaw.
Kansas University has the best pre-
served specimen of this species
Another large fish found in this sea
mad very large shoulder fins. with a
sword-like bone on the front edge Of
each. These bones he might have
used to cut his foes, but more likely
ne used them TO rush into a school
OF smaller fish, swinging the mighty
swords right and left. hacking the
hshes TO pieces and then eating them
at his leisure The skeletal remains
OF these and many other species of
nshes make up large masses of the
rock in western Kansas.
Some of the Dinosaurs.
In TINS sea lived a large number OF
species and millions OF specimens of
reptiles. Among the more prominent
were the dinosaurs or powerful liz
ards" Some of them were the largest
animals that have ever existed on
earth. such one was sixty-six feet
long, eighteen feet high at the hips,
mad a very long tail and neck, vet
n very small head and an insignia
cant brain. The estimated weight of
the monster is from fifteen to twenty
tons. yet its brain weighed scarcely
more than a pound.
Another huge dinosaur deyeloned
big, heavy arnor-like bony plate
over his head and neck. On this plate
were three horns, two of them many
inches in diameter and from eighteen
70 twenty-four inches long. This
massive helmet was a defensive and
offensive structure.
Many of the dinosaurs were large
and powerful, ruling by brute sforce.
But all lacked brains. and so lost out
IN the struggle for existence.
Lizards for All Museums.
Another group of reptiles were the
very long, aquatic lizards with large
heads large, most powerful laws and
Dig. conical teeth. The size of the
mouth opening could be increased by
a second hinge in the lower jaw.
Tneir Jaws would have allowed them
10 swallow lion at one guIp
thousand specimens of these skele-
tons have been taken from the west
ern Kansas field. All of the museums
OF the world have been supplied. and
Yet plenty are left in Kansas
swimming around among these sea
serpents was the king of the turtles.
Archelon, with shell ten TO twelve
ieet long and head yard long.
Ihere were also the flying rem
ules' or Pterydactyls. They SCARED
through the air, and probably dived
, ,, the water and caught fish with
thelr long sharp beak. Kansas has
me distinction of furnishing nearly
all the flying reptiles.
Ancient Birds in Kansas.
The Kansas chalk beds furnish the
only skeletons of ancient birds found
on this continent. These birds. while
not as old as the ones In Europe. are
remarkable in many of their eharac-
teristics, They had teeth. They had
no winss-only one small bone where
the wing should have been. But the
legs and beak were long, making a
total length of more than five feet
Out on the plains roamed, grazed,
fought and fed herds of many species
Of the early horses, monster bisons.
mammoth hairy elephants, huge mas :,
todons, giant sloths, as well as the
camelitke Canaelops and the pigiike
pecartes and primitive deer.