318 ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 193 8 



In imagination at least, the paleontologist may review the wonder- 

 ful pageant of the past life of this world of ours. His reviewing stand 

 is placed on the ocean border high enough above the water so that he 

 may have a clear view of its depths. Here pass before him all the 

 marine creatures from the single-celled primitive animals to the 

 starfish, the brachiopods, the bizarre forms of the trilobites, huge 

 ammonites, and many other creeping and crawling animals. Then 

 come strangely shaped fishes in the armor of medieval knights and 

 other swimming forms so unlike any living today that they must be 

 seen to be believed. Then, creeping out onto the land, which, while 

 he has been fascinated by the marvels of the sea, has become covered 

 by vegetation, come strange creations. They are leaving the teeming 

 sea and venturing out to a new life upon the land. Soon he sees them 

 developing varied forms, upon the surface and in the air as the first 

 insects fly about the strange trees and plants of this primitive world. 

 Later the reptiles develop and dominate land, sea, and air, with the 

 huge winged Pterodactyls perhaps resembling flights of modern air- 

 planes. The birds and mammals follow and, in turn, dominate air 

 and land. Gradually, modern vegetation appears, and the world 

 looks very much as it does today. The stage is set for the appearance 

 of primitive man. As the animals and plants show their evolution, 

 the paleontologist studying the early races of men becomes an anthro- 

 pologist, and digging into his buried cities changes to an archeologist, 

 and so to the historian. 



With all this pageantry of the past, the field for the present-day 

 paleontologist, what of the future of the science? 



It may well follow three distinct but related fields: First, that of 

 the paleontologist in his own realm; second, the relationships to the 

 other sciences, particularly geology, where it may contribute much; 

 and, third, as a practical aid to the development of man's economic 

 life. Some suggestions at least will be given for all three of these 

 fields. 



The base on which to build our knowledge of the animals and plants 

 of the past must rest upon the remains that are left to us in the 

 deposits of past ages. To make these available for the studies of 

 others, the fossils must be collected, described, and illustrated. This 

 is the chore work that must be done in detail, and eventually must 

 cover the entire surface of the globe and the vertical section of the 

 sedimentary rocks of all ages. In the last century and a half, great 

 progress has been made along these lines, but immense areas of the 

 earth are yet to be explored. These will fill in many details of the 

 picture which are now lacking. In the future we may expect explora- 

 tions and development will render accessible to paleontologists rich 

 collections from the unknown parts of Asia, Africa, the Americas, 

 and Australia. These will not only add immensely to the known 



