Evening star., 1938-04-07
STARS, MEN AND ATOMS
Notebook of Science Progress in Field.
Laboratory and Study.
BY THOMAS r. HENRY

A million years ago around the site
of the present city of Cumberland, in
Western Maryland
1t is warm interval in the ice ages.
The time explorer emerges out of the
desolateness of the last glacial period
into forested country with running
brooks, birds singing, faint odor of
skunk in the air. 1t looks very much
like patch of the present seWed into
the fabric of the old time.
But the forest is perilous place.
Monster cats, big as lions or tigers and
probably just as fierce, are lurking for
their prey in the bushes. They are the
terrorS of the countryside. Long haired
elephants stampede across grassy dells.
Bones OF these creatures, together with
those of 46 other animals, have just been
described by Dr. c. Lewis Gain, Smith
sonian Institution paleontologist, from a
strange assortment gathered from a
limestone cave opened when railroad
cut was being constructed few years
ago. They range frc-n remains of the
wolverine to those of the crocodile
The presumption is that in ice days
the cavern was natural trap with an
opening directly on top through which
the animals fell. Once inside there
was no way to get out. Thus was
gathered a grim sort of skeleton ZOO
from period which far antedates man
in this part of North America. 1t in
cluded near relatives of most of the
animals now found in the Appalachian
region and several, like the mastodon and
fl@O <,t~ IL, L., L~~
tinct.
1t is curious assemblage of Northern
and Southern animals. Bones of Wolver-
inc and marten, types now found only
in Far Northern woods, are mingled with
those of tapirS, which now range no
farther north than Central America,
and those of the single alligator. Florida
Is now the northern limit of these rep
tiles. Bones of mink, beaver and otter
creatures of forest StreamS-are mingled
with those of ancient horses and coyotes,
whose relatives today range over dry
plains.
This can only mean, DR.. Gain be-
lleveS, that the bones were assembled
only over a considerable period, pos
sibly several thousand years, during
which there was a notable change in
the climate from north to south tenn
perate and possibly change from moist
woodland to more open country. All the
bones were assembled during the Pleisto-
Gene geological period. This extended
over approximately two million years,
but during this time there were several
retreats and advances of the glaciers,
with intervals of relatively warm climate
at least comparable to that of today.
The cave was first explored by the
late DR.. James w. Gidley in 1912. He
described few of the species found, but
died before completing the investigation.
During the last five years DR.. Gain
has sorted, identified and restudied the
bones. In few cases it has been pcs
sible to reconstruct the animals them
selves.
Most abundant in the assemblage were
the bones Of bears, representing two
species. The bones are chiefly those of
a creature about the size of the black
bear still found in the Appalachian
region. 1t probably did not differ greatly
IN appearance from this familiar ami
mai, although it was of a different spe-
cies. 1t had some characteristics now
found In the Louisiana bear. During the
moist woodland interval bears may have
been especially abundant In the region, or
1t may have been that the clumsy crea-