Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-08-27
SKULL Of MONKEY,
LIVING 100000
YEARS AGO, FOUND
Primitive Bones Recovered
on Smithsonian Hunt
in Wyoming.
ROCK SHELL TO BE CUT
FROM AROUND REMAINS
Specimen Is Expected to Prove
More Nearly Complete Than One
Other Now Known to Exist.
BY THOMAS r. HENRY.

A skull tentatively identified as that
OF primitive monkey more than
20, 000, 900 years old has been recovered
from the Big Horn River basin in Wyo-
ming by a Smithsonian Institution ex-
petition, it was announced today.
1t was brought to Washington by G.
w. Gilmore, assistant curator OF paleon-
tology and leader of the expedition,
and is the most priced Of more than
/ 900 specimens of animal life in the
early Eocene period, before the great
ice sheets spread over North America.
Although precursors Of the present
Simian group of mammals, from wnicn
man is supposed to be a derivation, are
known to have existed in an even earlier
geological age, Mr. Gilmore said, these
animals have been described largely
from fossil fragments, such as single
teeth. There is one other Simian skull
from the Eocene, but it is not as COM
plste as the present find, If 1t actually
turns out to be what Mr.. Gilmore be-
lieves 1t is. Before it can be Identified
positively it will be necessary to cut
away the rock in which it now Is In
closed so that only the front teenth and
a bone under the eye are visible.
Appear In Preceding Period.
The Simian family, Mr. Gilmore says,
appeared suddenly In the age preceding
the Eocene with no known direct an
cestors, although they are derived from
a generalized insect-eating stock. The
skull found by the Smithsonian paleon-
biologists was that of very small ami
NAL Nothing can be told of its general
appearance or manner Of life.
Another valuable specimen secured
by Mr. Gilmore was o Coryphodon,
an extinct animal of the Eocene swamps
with no living relatives, but which
vaguely resembled the present day
hippopotamus. They also found a skull
and several lower jaws of the Eohippus,
the first animal of the evolutionary line
which led to the horse.
The expedition also brought back
parts Of five specimens OF the diatren1a.
a monster bird which is entirely extinct
and nearest to the ostrich of any living
creature. It was also believed to have
been a swamp dweller. 1t was flight
less. stood about feet high and had
a very large head with a heavy beak.
Eocene bird life Is very poorly repre-
scented In collections. Mr. Gilmore ex-
planned. because the light skeletons Of
birds usually were destroyed before they
had time to become fossils.
Fiercest Animal Traced.
Among the finds OF the expedition
was part of the skeleton of the fiercest
animal of those far-oH days-the
pachyaena. This creature was some
thing like a big cat and is In the gen.
eral ancestral line Of fesh-eating ami
mails, although not directly related to
any living today. It probably made many
= meal of the little insectiyores from
which the monkeys arose.
A second Smithsonian expedition
working in an Eocene age deposit in
Idaho, under the direction OF Norman
II. Boss, unearthed a 10000 O00-year-
old horse corral. out of which were
obtained 2 complete skeletons and IS
skulls. These were of the Plesippus, an
animal just a shade removed from the
true horse. The deposit was discovered
last year by DR.. James II. Gidley of
the Smithsonian staff, and the discovery
made 1t possible to complete the evolu-
tionary line OF the horse.
The large number of horse skeletons
in this one place, It was explained,
probably was not due to some sudden
catastrophe. but was the accumulation
OF centuries. Herds of the pre-
historic horses visited the spot and q
few of them died there Before the
discovery the Plesippus was known only
by two or three bones.
The object of his expedition, Mr.. Gil
more said today, was to get as complete
a cross-section IS possible of the
Eocene animals in Western North Amer
lea. Wire there are some Implications
in the 1000 specimens, they represent
great many distinct species. The coll
lection is especially rich in specimens
OF the ancient reptile life which still
was striving with tbs mammals for
earth dominion. There were numerous
monster crocodiles, little changed from
their present relatives, besides many
lizards.
Many Not Represented.
While great many animals appa--
emily gathered here from time to time,
Mr. Gilmore explained, they probably
represent only small part of the ac-
tual life Of the early Eocene. A crea-
ture become fossil only by a rare ac-
eident and there must have been thou
SENDS Of creatures who never secured n
permanent resting place in the presery-
alive rocks. Many OF the species have
been identified only by single teeth.