Animals Before Man 



bedded in the skin. While such a creature 

 might not be invulnerable to the attacks of an 

 ordinary beast of prey, it is evident that our 

 largest cat, the jaguar, might beat and bite his 

 huge carcass in vain. But the powerful teeth 

 of smilodon, like two daggers, would reach 

 through hair and hide to the deep-seated arter- 

 ies of the neck, and before such a foe the big, 

 sluggish mylodon would go down. 



Horses, which through long centuries had 

 been steadily advancing, increasing in speed 

 and stature until they matured in the Pliocene, 

 now reached their highest point. They w^ere 

 represented by many species of true or single- 

 toed horses spread over the greater part of 

 North America south of Canada, and through- 

 out South America as well. With the possible 

 exception of the little-known Eqitus giganteus, 

 they were rather smaller than the average 

 modern horse and had proportionately larger 

 heads, being built more like an ass or zebra. 

 The most common species was that named 

 Equiis complicatus, from the complicated fold- 

 ings of the enamel of the teeth, and this was 



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