Evening star., 1931-12-10
HUGE LIONS BONES
D|SCOVERED|NWEST
"Atrocious Cat" Believed to
Have Inhabited America in
Time of Man.

A giant considerably larger than
the African animal of today and repre-
senting one Of the highest developments
OF killing" effectiveness in the man.
NAL world-livei in North America al
about the time this continent first was
invaded by human beings.
Bones of the "atrocious cat,' as 1t
has been named in the Latin of science,
have been found in asphalt deposits
near Los Angeles by paleontologists Of
the Carnegie Institution Of Washington,
together with bones Of about 1900 other
animals Of the cat tribe. This discov-
cry, described In pictures, viii form a
part Of the annual exhibit OF current
scieatiflc work arranged for the annual
MEETING OF the institution trustees Fri
day,
"a Aids Evolution Study.
this feature represents the work of
Or; 5ohn G. Merriam, secretary of the
institution, and DR.. Chester Stock, and
is Of special significance in the study
of pvSlution and heredity, which is fea-
turhd in this years exhibit.
'Telis strox" was true king OF cats,
sndprobably Of the whele animal world
OF his time. In the same deposit were
found many bones of the almost equally
ferocious "smilodon," or saber-tooth
cat, those Of puma closely related to
the present American species, and those
of a wildcat apparently identical with
a type still living in California. All
these animals were flesh eaters. They
were drawn to the asphalt beds to de-
YOUR the carcssses of animals caught
there, became trapped themselves, and
perished.
The puzzle the Psychologists are
trying to work out is why these great
and frightful creatures, strong and
fierce enough to get all the food they
wanted by devouring other animals,
persisted completely at about the be-
ginning Of the historical period while
the little wildcat lived on into the
present
Legends of Cats Persist.
"There can be little doubt" says the
report of the exhibit, which will be
thrown open to the general public Sat-
urday, Sunday and Monday, following
the meeting of the trustees, that in
the period just anterior to that in which
we live there was present In this region
a life assemblage that would, if it could
stand before us, seem to represent a
foreign land and age" The presence
OF non-like creatures in North America
even during the time of man is indi-
Gated by persistent Legends. Thomas
Jefferson was firmly convinced that they
still lived in his day, although there is
little doubt but that they had become
extinct long since.
Discovery Of new phenomenon in
evolution and heredity "a sudden
change in the heat requirements Of an
animal which is transmitted to all its
descendants-also was announced today
at the Carnegie Institution in advance
of the annual exhibit. A microscopic
freSh-water creature, the daphnia, had
been bred in the laboratory for hun
dreds Of generations without showing
any notable change. But one extremely
hot week last Summer 1t was found that
some of the little creatures were almost
dead of the heat, while others were
displaying an unusual activity. The
race, as represented Ia the laboratory,
seemed suddenly to have split into
warm-wster and cold-water divisions.
Since then several generations have
been bred and the difference consist
entity has been passed on from parents
to offspring.
May Explain Maay Changes.
The discovery, it was pointed out,
may explain such cuIiositieS In nature
that NJ tiru 1fxyfyx H.,