460 Evolution and Distribution of Fishes 



2. A study of the past and present known distribution 

 of the Marsupials, as well as of other animal groups cited, 

 likewise favors the former existence of such a land-connec- 

 tion. 



3. The surviving genera and species of plants, common 

 to all of the land areas between Fuegia and Australo-N. 

 Zealand, favor such a connection to a marked degree, since 

 many identical genera, and in some cases even species, ex- 

 tend to both limits just named. 



4. The west Patagonian flora, and at least some 

 groups of the fauna like the fishes now under discussion, 

 as well as the marsupials, proclaim original descent from 

 northern or central American ancestors. These travelled 

 down along an Andean continental line till they reached 

 Fuegia and the Falkland area, probably during late Cre- 

 taceous. They then spread eastward along an important 

 land connection in late cretaceous or earliest eocene time, 

 when they made slight connection with the S. E. extremity 

 of Africa, and ultimately reached New Zealand, Tasmania, 

 and Australia. 



5. While recent discoveries lend decided and direct 

 support to the former existence of an Antarctic Continent, 

 that may have been the main landmass for effecting such 

 connections and organic distributions, the writer would 

 favor more the former existence of a South Continent, that 

 extended in fairly direct line from Fuegia to N. Zealand 

 and Tasmania-Australia, but may also have connected with 

 Antarctic land. 



6. The bulk of evidence indicates that the above mi- 

 grational bridge formed in direct continuity with W. Fuegia 

 and W. Patagonia during late Cretaceous time, and when 

 East Patagonia and Argentina were largely covered by a 

 Cretaceous sea. 



7. The line of the Andes is the middle and now greatly 

 elevated part of an extensive landmass that was at times 

 connected with, at times largely separate from a great 

 Guiano-Brazilian landmass or Archenchelis. This Archen- 

 chelis landmass was at times directly continuous with mid 

 and north America, from the last of which many of its 

 organic types migrated. It probably also was, at least for 



