Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-03-14
Discoverer of Dinosaur Eggs
in Mongolia Honored
by Society Here.
WILL RETURN SHORTLY
TO RESUME RESEARCH
Tribute to Achievement Paid by
DR.. Gilbert Grosvenor at Wash
ington Auditorium.

DR.. Roy Chapman Andrews, world
famous explorer, whose expeditions have
ranged from quest of whales in icy
Antarctic waters to his years of search
for mankinds earliest habitation in the
parched Cobb Desert of Mongolia, last
evening was awarded the Hubbard Gold
Medal of the National Geographic So
ciety at the Washington Auditorium.
Presentation of the medal on behalf
of the society was made by its presi-
dent, DIR. Gilbert Grosvenor, who said
"As evidence of the society's esteem for
Roy Chapman Andrews important con-
.tributions to the increase and diffusion
of geographic knowledge, the board of
trustees. on the recommendation OF the
Committee on Research. have awarded
its highest honor, the Hubbard Medal,
granted by the society only eight times
in 43 years"
DR.. Grosvenor then read the citation
on the medal. which is-"The Hubbard
Medal Awarded by the National Geo.
graphic Society to Roy Chapman An
drewS for Extraordinary Geographic
Discoveries in Central Asia"
VIII Resume Search.
The long series of Asiatic expeditions
have unearthed fossils of prehiStoric
animal life ranging from tiny mosquito
skeletons to the huge dinosaur eggs
found a few years ago. Traces OF
mans origin have not yet been found,
but the lines along which this quest
is to be continued, and for which DR..
Andrews again is sailing for the Far
East next week, were indicated in his
address when he said:
I'VE have always been hoping to
find strata which would yield some evil
dence OF mans origin, which we believe
to have taken place in Central Asia.
During the past eight years we sought
for such strata in vain in Central and
Western Mongolia. 1t was not until
1880 that we discovered an enormous
extent of Pliocene strata in Eastern
Mongolia. This is the period just pre-
ceding the Ice Age.
ut is in this formation that we might
hope to find the remains OF primitive
man, If he lived in Central Asia. The
possible ultimate success of this part of
our work depends upon an extensive In
vestigation of this area"
First Address Recalled.
In presenting the medal to DR.. An
drews. DR.. Grosvenor recalled that his
first address before the National Geo
-
made just 20 years ago.
I'm ensuing years." DR.. Grosvenor
continued, he has often returned to
present to National Geographic Society
members fascinating reports upon some
new line of investigation.
But we all associate Roy Chapman
Andrews name most wildly with the
long series of American Museum OF
Natural History Expeditions which, be-
ginning in 1916, he organized and led to
Central Asia.
by patient, inductive reasoning, a
rarely gifted exploring instinct and
keen observation, with splendid courage
and resourcefulness, he has achieved
discoveries in the heart of Asia that
have pushed back the horizons of life
upon the earth and filled in gaps in
the great ancestral tree of all that
breathes."
Summary of Work.
DR.. Grosvenor summarized the Asiatic
work of DR.. Andrews expeditions as
follows:
"On the Central Asian plateau he has
discovered many geological strata previ-
ously unknown; he has found and I'M
covered some of the richest fossil fields
known in the world. Here he discov-
cred the first dinosaur eggs known.
skeletons of the Oldest known man.
mails and of the largest known mammal
and extensive evidence of primitive
human life.
His explorations have proved that
this region was one of the chief centerS
OF origin and distribution of the
reptilian and mammalian life of our
globe"
1t also was pointed out by DR.. Gros-
venor that DR.. Andrews carried a survey
base line for 1900 miles from the Kali
gan Railway, through the heart OF the
Cobb Desert mapping many thousands
of square miles for the first time.
DIR. Andrews Replies.
In accepting the medal DR.. Andrews
said:
THE fact that our work has been
stamped with the approval of this Ma
tional Geographic Society," which exerts
such a profound influence upon geo.
graphic science and education through
out the world will send us all back into
the desert with new enthusiasm to meet
the problems of further exploration.
Exploration has, of necessity, entered
new phase. The great pioneer lines
OF discovery have been thrown across
the continents in every direction; now
only a few comparatively small areas
of the earth's surface remain unknown.
The task of the future is to fill in the
blank spaces on the worlds map and
to study intensively the little known
regions of which there are many"
Ten Years in Desert.
DR.. Andrews then gave an illustrated
address, summarizing the results, in
seven fields of science, of his 10 years
work in the Cobb Desert. He dealt
especially with the important discoveries
of the recent expedition which found
40 mastodon remains in a bog where
these prehistoric animals had mired.
Press reports have emphasized
paleontology because the fossil animals
discovered stirred the interest and imag-
! ination of the public" he continued.
But the expedition has mapped more
accurately than ever was done before
great part of the Cobb Desert. 1t
has brought back some 10000 specimens
of living mammalian fauna. Its col
lection of fish, reptiles and amphlbians
! is the largest ever taken out of Asia.
It has identified and correlated many
new geologic formations. 1t has dis
covered evidence of hitherto unknown
primitive human cultures, and studies of
botany have helped give picture of
the climate and physical condition of
| Asia during the successive geological
! ages before man appeared upon the
earth"