470 AURIFEROUS GRAVEL MAN IN CALIFORNIA. 



fact that in many cases the intimate association of the human remains 

 with those of extinct animal forms is noted. 



(8) The evidence as presented b}' Whitne}^ and others seems aVjun- 

 dant and convincing, and many scientific men have accepted it as satis- 

 factory proof of a Tertiary man in America. It is clearly the strongest 

 bod}' of evidence 3'et brought together tending to connect man with 

 any geologic formation earlier than post-Glacial. 



On the other hand, numerous considerations are urged against great 

 anticjuity, as follows: 



(1) It is held that the strength of testimony should be proportioned 

 directly to the magnitude of the propositions to be supported and that 

 this case requires proofs of a higher order than have as yet ))een 

 presented. 



(2) The existence of a Tertiary man. even of the lowest grade, has 

 not yet been fully established in any country, and this California evi- 

 dence, therefore, stands absolutely alone. It implies a human race 

 okler ])}' at least one-half than Pitliccaiifhi'opn.'^ crertni< of Dul)()is, which 

 may be regarded as an incipient form of human creature only. The 

 finds reported indicate a Middle Tertiary people well advanced in the 

 elements of culture; and culture, especially in the earlier stages, is 

 necessarily of exceedingly slow growth. The Pitlucantlii'opurs of Cali- 

 fornia would have to be looked for somewhere in the early Tertiary if 

 not in a preceding period. The burdens thus thrown upon the aurif- 

 erous gravel evidence are enormous. 



(3) The presumption that a Tertiary man could have survived to the 

 present time in California may well be held in abeyance. The phys- 

 ical and l)iological changes in the region have been profound and far- 

 reaching. The Avestern half of the continent has been twice or thrice 

 remodeled since Middle Tertiary times, and every known species of 

 plant and all species of the higher forms of animal life have been 

 ol)literated. Evidence based on random and inexpert observations is 

 not sutficient to establish such a proposition. 



(4) If it could be admitted that man did survive throughout the ages 

 and continental transformations, it appears quite improbable that his 

 physical characters and his culture should have remained unchanged. 

 It seems equall}' unlikely that a modern race could have sprung up 

 duplicating the man of a million years before in every essential par- 

 ticular. 



(5) Examination of the human relics reported from the gravels fails 

 to give support to the claim of antiquity. Fossilization of the osseous 

 remains, upon which so much stress has been laid, may have taken place 

 in comparativel}^ recent times. The chemical changes noted are such as 

 might be expected to characterize remains buried for a few hundred 

 years in the deep pits and caverns of the region. The crania recov- 

 ered are identical in character with recent crania. 



