68 
ORIGIN OF LIFE IN AMERICA 
rate, the eastern European races of the red deer is so close 
that Dr. Caton * * * § was sometimes at a loss to discriminate 
between them. The late Professor Nehringf also drew atten¬ 
tion to the resemblance of certain fossil deer antlers from 
central and eastern Europe to those of Cervus canadensis. 
As we proceed westward in Europe the distinctive cha¬ 
racters of the red deer become more prominent, and less so 
as we travel towards America through Asia. Dr. Tcherski,J 
I think, was the first to direct attention to the fact that the 
wapiti was a variety of the Siberian maral. And a similar 
opinion has more recently been expressed by Mr. Lydekker. § 
It is many years since I argued that the Elaphus group of 
the genus Cervus, to which the Canadian wapiti and the 
European red deer belong, originated in Central Asia, and 
I have not had any cause to modify my views in this respect. || 
Cervus canadensis differs from all other American deer and 
agrees with the great majority of the Old World forms in so 
far as the proximal portions of the lateral metacarpal bones 
persist. This is, as Sir Victor Brooke first pointed out, an 
important structural character. In the possession of these 
small leg-bones the Canadian wapiti stands entirely apart 
from its more distant relations of the American Continent, 
while clearly betraying its close relationship to the Siberian 
maral and the Old World deer generally. Its presence in 
America, therefore, forms one of the most powerful argu- 
ments in favour of the view that North America and Asia 
have been united by land within fairly recent geological 
times. We shall meet with so many similar examples during 
the course of this work, that one might almost be inclined to 
say that the matter requires no further proof, that it is an 
established fact. Notwithstanding, one of the most distin¬ 
guished authorities in America is not disposed to accept the 
view that there was such a recent land connection. Nor is 
it expedient for us to adopt the attitude of the modern 
glacialist who, in referring to the theory of the presence of 
* Caton, J. D., “Antelope and Deer of America,” p. 214. 
t Nehring, A., “ Tundren und Steppen,” p. 203. 
t Tcherski, J. D., “ Das Janaland, &c.,” p. 49G. 
§ Lydekker, R., “ Geographical History of Mammals,” p. 315. 
'| Scharff, R. F., “ Mammiferes de la region holarctique,” p. 448. 
