VERTEBRATE PALEONTOLOGY IN 1908 



By R. LYDEKKER 



So far as it has at present come to hand the work accom- 

 plished in the domain of vertebrate palaeontology during 1908 is 

 both voluminous and important, comprising several memoirs 

 of more than average interest and value, in which our know- 

 ledge of local faunistic groups is consolidated and brought 

 up to date, with, in most instances, descriptions of new species. 

 At no period was work of the latter nature of greater import- 

 ance than it is at present, when isolated papers are published 

 in so many parts of the world that it is a matter of the greatest 

 difficulty for the student to be assured that he has made 

 himself acquainted with all the recent literature bearing on 

 his particular subject. With these few preliminary remarks, 

 the more important papers (inclusive of a few published in 

 1907) that have come under the writer's notice during the 

 year may be passed in review. 



Both as regards the nature of its subject and its import- 

 ance and interest from a taxonomic standpoint, the first 

 place is claimed by Dr. H. F. Standing's memoir on recently 

 discovered fossil Primates from Madagascar, published in 

 the eighteenth volume of the Transactions of the Zoological 

 Society of London, with an appendix by Professor Elliot 

 Smith on the brain of the extinct Malagasy lemurs and the 

 affinities of the sifaka and indri group. The memoir com- 

 mences with an account of the marsh near Ampasambazimba, 

 which has yielded the remains of these marvellous lemuroids, 

 as represented by species of the size of the larger existing 

 forms to others rivalling the chimpanzee or gorilla in stature. 

 The region is essentially volcanic, and the ancient lake 

 which formed the tomb of the lemur-like creatures appears 

 to have been mainly held up by a dam of lava ; and there 

 is evidence that in former times a very large extent of the 

 country was under water, while the land-surface was heavily 



forested. Pottery, apparently of Chinese manufacture, has 



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