Evening star., 1937-10-31
Prehistoric Inhabitants
of the United States
BY FREDERIC J. HASRIN.

a part Of the story told by fossils recently
discovered in this country. In no other
part of the known world is there a better
hunting ground for the big game OF
prehistoric times. These dinosaurs or
terrible lizards became extinct about
60,000,000 years ago, and many were
nearly 100 feet long and weighed several
tons. The largest of all fiesh-eating ami
mails, the Tyrant Dinosaur, has left its
footprints in the sandstone of the Paint
ed Desert of Arizona. This great lizard
took a stride of ten feet and travelled
as fast as racing automobile. Nine
great dinoSaur fossils have been found
in the wastelands of Montana. Scient-
lists place the age of these monsters at
100000 years.
The worlds largest animal trap,
swamplike pool of black, sticky sub
stance near Los Angeles, Calf, has
yielded many bones OF animals which
roamed this country before the coming
of man. Unearthed from this snare
have been skeletons of cats four feet
high, giant bears and mammoths much
larger than the elephant of today. In
this same territory was found the skull
of an ancient tiger, probably enticed into
the mire when hunting for some smaller
animal.
Not all of the prehistoric animals were
of gigantic size. One OF the most un-
usual fossil discoveries of modern times
was an animal about the size Of sheep,
known as an Oreodon. With it were
found unborn twins. The fossils were
found in South Dakota in the Badlands
region The Oreodon has been extinct
for millions Of years, yet scientists say
that there is some remote connection be-
tween 1t and certain animals Of today,
probably those of the cud-chewing FAM
lily.
The most perfect dinosaur fossil ever
discovered is that of the armored horned
toad found in Montana. This monster is
twice the size of a hippopotamus and was
found embedded in sandstone. Under
meath the thick skin of this monster
was found a series of small bony plates
composing a coat of armor for the ami
NAL This armor was located at the
neck and other points ON the body which
might be partially uncovered by move
ment. Scientists believe that the terri.
tory in which this reptile was found was
the beach of a prehistoric sea. The
theory is supported by the discovery of
alligator teeth, shells and bits of prime
val rushes in the sandstone underneath
the fossil.
The giant marine turtle Of Alabama
was found at depth of about six feet.
This was the most highly specialized
and the most ferocious of all the ancient
water reptiles. Teeth marks on the
bones of this animal show that it prob
ably died in a fight The head of this
turtle measured five feet, and 1t was
equipped with a massive shell covering.
In Kansas was excavated the skeleton
of one of the largest fish that ever lived.
1t was perfectly preserved and measured
over fourteen feet in length. 1t had
teeth like a shark and could easily have
battled the largest whale of today. In
this same State was also found COM
plete skeleton of the first sea serpent.
This was a swimming lizard sixty feet
long. with triangular head. 1t bears
resemblance to the present-day alliga-
tors, but is much larger and has longer
and sharper teeth.
Among the fossil monsters found in
Wyoming is the duckbilled dinosaur.
This animal weighed ten tons when alive,
scientists believe. Its head was four feet
lOIS, anu Lie ShtltIOtl NclkllCd live LOiio.
This monster had apparently been
trapped in quicksand, for it was found
with the front limbs elevated and the
head and neck stretched as far as pos
sible, while the hind limbs pointed down.
ward in an effort to swim.
On one of the Western plains In this
country was found the remains OF
giant shark. The prehistoric shark was
fiesh-eater and measured from forty
to fifty feet in length. Its mouth was six
feet wide, and had teeth from four to six
inches long. The basic contour Of the
ancient shark is practically the same as
that of the modern shark. Another ter
ror of the waters of ancient times was
the sea dragon, scientifically known as
the MosasauruS. Specimens have been
found in the Kansas chalk deposits and
in Alabama. Some thirty feet in length,
it possessed massive jaw, and was able
to swallow large fish whole. 1t had
long. sweeping tail and very much re-
sembles the dragons depicted in myths
and fairy tales.
Texas has yielded a smaller, but un-
usually grotesque, form of prehistoric
reptile. These fossils show that the AMI
NAL was about ten feet long, and had
row of spines along its back, some OF
which were more than four feet high.
This formed a kind of elevated fin. It
had a short neck and paddle-like feet,
which gave 1t the appearance of large
lizard, but it also had formidable tusks:
This species lived partly in the water.
and the teeth seem to indicate that fish
was q part of it's diet. Several Of this
type and other early reptiles have been
found in Texas
Remains of the enormous helmeted
lizard have been found in North America.
These reptiles were thirty-five feet In
length and stood seventeen feet high.
They lived on the great plants that grew
in that age, and had no less than $500
teeth When a tooth fell out, another
grew in its place. They lived by lakes
and marsh lands, and evidently were
very numerous. In Alberta, Canada;
parts of 500 individuals were found pre-
served in one place. Another plant-eat-
er was the Triceratops, or horned dino-
saur. This creature weighed about twen-
ty-five tons but had close relatives which
weighed from forty to sixty tons. The
Triceratops had a powerful beak, and
three horns on its head. These great
animals had very small brains.
The American Mastodon was primi-
tive elephant, land stood about nine feet
high at the shoulder. 1t was ponderous
and bulky animal with very long and
heavy body. The teeth are peculiar, and
when first found by earlier settlers of
this country they were believed to have
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