9 



which after a serious and allsided research into the subject, cannot 

 be accepted and mast in fact be entirely subverted by other students 

 of the subject. 



The causes may never be fully analyzed, but comprise, in the 

 main, defective collection, imperfect criteria of comparison, a lack of 

 experience in anthropology, and finally, in at least some cases, the 

 allure of the new and vs^onderful. 



As to defective collection, it may be said that with the sole 

 exception of the Lagoa Santa material, not one of the specimens 

 advanced as representing early man in South America was gathered 

 in a way to satisfy the requirements of science. Let us turn to the 

 records : 



The "Rio CarcaraM" bones were brought to Buenos Aires by 

 F. Següin, a collector of fossils for sale. No written report was ever 

 made regarding the circumstances of the find by Sequin, the oral 

 information he gave was very meagre, and the stratum from which 

 the bones came, their association, and even the spot where the 

 discovery was made are uncertain. The first "Arroyo de Frias" find 

 was made about 1871 by F. Ameghino, at that time 17 years old, 

 acting as a "subpreceptor" at a nearby school and while searching 

 to regain lost health, beginning to interest himself in fossil bones. ^) 

 The "Saladero" skeleton was found in 1876 by Santiago Roth, at 

 that time a young collector of fossils, and was not even mentioned 

 in literature until twelve years later. At the time of its discovery 

 the bones were thought nothing of and were given to a companion. 

 About one year later Roth happened to see in the garden of his 

 companion some fragments of "fossil" bones and on asking where 

 they came from he was informed that they were the remnants of 

 the skeleton dug out near Saladero. And those fragments constitute 

 the evidence of the Saladero representative of the ancient man of 

 Argentina. 



The "Arrecifes " skull was found by a preparator attached to the 

 Museo Nacional of Buenos Aires "in terraue belonging to the Pampeau 

 formation which was left exposed by water." Incredible as it may 

 seem, this is absolutely all that has ever been recorded in regards to 

 the circumstances of this discovery. The "Samborombon" skeleton 



1) See " Dr. Florentino Ameghino," per Juan Ambrosetti, Anales del 

 Museo Nacional etc., Buenos Aires, XXII, page XII. 



