FOSSIL AMERICAN MONKEYS 



187 



remains in the great caverns of Brazil, or in the fresh-water superficial deposits 

 which cover such large areas of country in Argentina and other parts of South 

 America; all these belonging either to existing genera, and in some cases even 

 species of American monkeys, or to extinct types of 

 the same great family. 



At the time when the huge ground-sloths known 

 as megatheres and Mylodons roamed over the pampas 

 of South America, the forests of Brazil re-echoed as 

 now with the cries of howling monkeys, apparently 

 identical with the species still living; while titis and 

 sapajous are known to have existed at the same epoch, 

 and remains of other living genera will doubtless also 

 be found in the same deposits, which belong to what 

 geologists term the Pleistocene period. At the same 

 time, with these existing genera there also lived a 

 totally extinct genus of monkeys, known by the name 

 of Protopithecus. These monkeys appear to have been 

 nearly related to the modern howlers, but were con- 

 siderably larger than any living American monkey. 

 In Argentina and Patagonia remains of monkeys, ap- 

 parently belonging to this family, occur in much older strata, which have been cor- 

 related with the Eocene rocks of Europe. Marmosets are likewise represented 

 in the superficial South American deposits. 



UPPER AND SIDE VIEWS OF 

 I^OWER JAW OF AMERICAN 

 TERTIARY MONKEY. 

 (Homunculus After Ameghino.) 



