VERTEBRATE PALEONTOLOGY IN 1913 



By R. LYDEKKER, F.R.S. 



The first point to notice is that the complete paper, by Messrs. 

 Dawson and Smith Woodward, on the famous Piltdown skull 

 appeared in vol. lxix., pp. 1 17-51, of the Quarterly Journal of the 

 Geological Society, where the full name, Eoanthropus dawsoni, was 

 for the first time published, thus dating from 191 3. As so much 

 space was devoted to this subject in my review of vertebrate 

 palaeontology in 191 2, published in last year's volume of this 

 journal, it might well have been thought that there was little or 

 nothing to add on the present occasion. Additional material — 

 in the shape of a lower canine tooth — has, however, been 

 brought to light since the publication of the original memoir; 

 and a regrettable controversy has taken place with regard to 

 Dr. Smith Woodward's restoration of the skull, and the nature 

 and affinities of the being to whom it pertained. Into the 

 details of this controversy I have no intention of entering ; and 

 I shall content myself with quoting certain extracts from the 

 report of an evening discourse delivered by Dr. Woodward 

 before the Royal Institution on September 16, 191 3, in which 

 the criticisms of his work are discussed and, for the most part, 

 refuted. 



As regards the discovery of the aforesaid tooth Dr. Wood- 

 ward spoke as follows : 



" Fortunately, Mr. Dawson has continued his diggings during 

 the past summer, and on August 30 Father P. Teilhard, who 

 was working with him, picked up the canine tooth which 

 obviously belongs to the half of the mandible originally dis- 

 covered. In shape it corresponds exactly with that of an ape, 

 and its worn face shows that it worked upon the upper canine 

 in the true ape-fashion. It only diners from the canine of my 

 published restoration in being slightly smaller, more pointed, 

 and a little more upright in the mouth. Hence, we have now 

 definite proof that the front teeth of Eoanthropus resembled 

 those of an ape." 



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