4 
ORIGIN OF LIFE IN AMERICA 
Greenland constitute a single variety, according to Professor 
Camerano,* * * § while Mr. Lydekker separates the Scandinavian 
from the Greenland race. Following Professor Camerano’s 
example, Dr. Lonnberg f prefers the nasal bones of the skull, 
to the antlers for specific diagnosis. He unites the Greenland, 
Spitsbergen and Scandinavian forms with the American 
barren-ground reindeer in one group, characterised by their 
flat nasals. The Finland and Siberian reindeer he holds to 
be quite distinct races, particularly the former, which, with 
its elevated nasal bones and somewhat flattened antlers, ap¬ 
proaches the American woodland caribou. Even Robert 
Brown J long ago commented on the likeness of the Green¬ 
land and European reindeer, remarking that some reindeer 
horns from Greenland could not be distinguished from 
European ones. Since Professors Camerano and Lonnberg, 
moreover, take both skull characters and antlers into con¬ 
sideration, we may assume that this view of the affinity of the 
Greenland to the north-west European race is likely to be the 
correct one. 
An anonymous writer in “ Natural Science,” (p. 358, 
1899) gave it as his opinion that there are no grounds for 
deciding whether the Old or the New World was the original 
home of the reindeer. No doubt he meant to convey that we 
know nothing of the ancestry of the reindeer. I ventured, § 
on the contrary, to put forward the theory that the reindeer 
had originated in the Polar area, beyond the confines of the 
European Continent, while Professor Schlosser || argued that 
it was evidently of American origin. Neither of these views 
is supported by positive geological evidence; nevertheless 
I cannot agree with the above critic that we possess no grounds 
for deciding the place of origin of the reindeer, as the results 
of Professor Camerano’s and Professor Lonnberg’s cranial 
researches seem to indicate the existence of a closer rela¬ 
tionship between the west European and the Greenland and 
* Camerano, L., “ Renne delle Isole Spitzberge,” p. 167. 
t Lonnberg, Einar, “ Taxonomic Notes about Reindeer,” p. 10. 
X Brown, Robert, “ Mammals of Greenland,” p. 352. 
§ Scbarff, R. F., “ History of European Fauna,” p. 155. 
|| Schlosser, M.,“ Beziebungen d. ausgestorben. Saugethier-faunen,” 
p. 617. 
