Last Word Not Written. 



7 — The final summing" up of all evidence relative to the 

 antiquity of the Rancho La Brea skeleton will depend on a very 

 detailed and exhaustive study of the typical Pleistocene 

 Rancho La Brea fauna, of the fauna from the later tar deposits 

 like that of Pit 10, and of the existing fauna of California. 



No one of these three factors is, as yet, satisfactorily 

 knov/n. Lentil they are all known, the last word on this subject 

 cannot be written. The significance of this statement may 

 seem larger when reinforced by the remarks that the skeletons 

 of a large percentage of our living species have never yet been 

 carefully studied in the way in which this, work must be done 

 for use in investigations such as those concerned in this 

 problem. 



From whatever point the study of this specimen is viewed 

 it is well worth exhaustive scientific investigation. 



JOHN C. MERRIAM. 

 June n, 1914. 



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