Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1935-07-18
GREAT INLAND BODY.
Of WATER Once
COVERED this AREA
Writer Tells of Historic
Creatures That Lived
In This Vicinity
BY RAY E. COTTON
PaiaeontoloQicaI Writer


This special article has been writ
ten especially for the Herald by Ray
f. Cotton, palaeontologist and writer
who is now engaged in a study OF
prehistoric reptilian remains which
are found in the stratas of earth In
Sheridan and adjoining counties Of
eastern Montana. Mr.. Cotton has
explored the ruins of the Maya cit
les in the Yucatan Peninsula of
Mexico, the tombs of the Pharoahs
Of Egypt, and for the past three
years he has been engaged In study
ing prehistoric fossil and reptilian
remains in the western states, such
as North Dakota, Montana and
Wyoming. In the following article he
tells OF the geologic and prehistoric
past Of what is now Sheridan and
adjoining counties Of Montana
Editors Note.
85,OOO,OO0 Years Ago In Sheridan
1T Is difficult to visualize, states
the writer, "as to what scenes this
part of Montana unfolded to the eye
In the dim past. Where today, one
sees hundreds OF acres Of fertile
farmland, with well kept homes.
modern cities, highways and rolling
plains, was nee a great expanse of
rolling water, in whose waters there
swan countless marine reptiles, such
as the Mcsasaurus, giant turtles and
other denizens Of the dim past. Fol
lowing this came a terrific upheaval
at some point between the Alleghe-
ney and the Rocky Mountains. The
waters receeded from the new land
formations which had been thrown
up by this convulsiOn of Old Mother
Nature, and swamps, small lakes and
dence Vegetation and forest took the
place of the ocean which was once
here.
The scene changes. Where the
marine reptiles wan giant reptiles
such as Tyrannasaurus Rex, liking OF
the tyrant Lizards" the D%iplodocus,
huge winged birds, similar to the
bats which one sees today, only
hundreds of times larger, and other
giant forms of reptilian life took up
their abode in the swamps and lakes
which came following the upheaval.
Following this, came the glaciers,
which followed the C%retaceous Per-
iOd OF the Earth, which marks the
disappearance OF all reptilian and
plant life from this continent. The
huge glaciers moving down from the
Arctic regions, hurled hundreds Of
tons Of ice over the hapless creatUr-
es who we're caught and died. Veg
citation was crushed. An icy waste
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today fertility Is seen. This condi-
ton, which Is known as the Glacial
Age, existed for hundreds OF years.
Finally, Old Mother Nature firing OF
this eyesore of her handiwork, turn
ed the tables. Another upheaval
occurred. Climatic conditions chang
ed. The ice left. Trees and other
vegetation returned, with the result,
that today we see exemplified In the
surrounding territory, the topo-
graphical features which were form
ed by this last adjustment of Nature.
Where The Fossils Are Found
I'm searching for the remains of
the giant reptiles, whose skeletons
are found at various points In Mon
tana, Wyoming and North Dakota, a
certain amount of geological know
ledge is required In order that the
correct spots to search may be
known. Over a period OF years, pal
aeontologists engaged In removing
fossil remains, have prepared charts
which show the exact formations In
which these remains will be general
ly located. Recently, at a point
sixteen miles north Of Poplar, In
Roosevelt county, there were found
on the Smith ranch, some portions
of the vertebrate Of what has been
identified as a part of the skeleton
of Tyrannasaurus Rex, a great pre-
historic reptile which lived during
the late Permian Age of the Earth.
This great beast OF antiquity Is
known to have attained a length OF
AZ feet, and when standing erect was
fully 90 feet in height. His enor-
hmous head was armed with saw
blade, dagger-1ike teeth six inches
long. In fighting. this fearsome
brute could open his mouth four
feet. His neck was massive, with
forearms no larger than those OF a
man, and his large hind legs termin-
ated in three powerful toes with
claws like those OF an eagle. Evil
IDENTIFY he used these large hind feet
to hold his prey, while the powerful
neck and massive Jaws enabled him
to rend the flesh Of his hapless vic
Tins. Like all c%arnivorous dinos-
aurs the bones of the Tyrannasaur-
us were hollow while his joints were
close fitting. indicating an active
creature. Evidently he could leap
upon and bring down other more
sluggish and slow moving species OF
the dinosaur family.
These monsters. which science a
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