68 ORIGIN OF LIFE IN AMERICA 



rate, the eastern European races of the red deer is so close 

 that Dr. Caton * was sometimes at a loss to discriminate 

 between them. The late Professor Nehringf also drew atten- 

 tion to th;e resemblance of certain fossil deer antlers from 

 central and eastern Europe to those of Cervus canadensis. 

 As we proceed westward in Europe the distinctive cha- 

 racters of the red deer become more prominent, and less so 

 as we travel towards America through Asia. Dr. Tcherski,J 

 I think, was the first to direct attention to the fact that the 

 wapiti was a variety of the Siberian maral. And a similar 

 opinion has more recently been expressed by Mr. Lydekker. 



It is many years since I argued that the Elaphus group of 

 the genus Cervus, to which the Canadian wapiti and thie 

 European red deer belong, originated in Central Asia, and 

 I have not had any cause to modify my views in this respect. || 



Cervus canadensis differs from all other American deer and 

 agrees with the great majority of the Old World forms in so 

 far as the proximal portions of the lateral metacarpal bones 

 persist. This is, as Sir Victor Brooke first pointed out, an 

 important structural character. In the possession of these 

 small leg -bones the Canadian wapiti stands entirely apart 

 from its more distant relations of the American Continent, 

 while clearly betraying its close relationship to the Siberian 

 maral and the Old World deer generally. Its presence in 

 America, therefore, forms one of the most powerful argu- 

 ments in favour of the view that North America and Asia 

 have been united by land within fairly recent geological 

 times. We shall meet with so many similar examples during 

 the course of this work, that one might almost be inclined to 

 say that the matter requires no further proof, that it is an 

 established fact. Notwithstanding, one of the most distin- 

 guished authorities in America is not disposed to accept the 

 view that there was such a recent land connection. Nor is 

 it expedient for us to adopt the attitude of the modern 

 glacialist who, in referring to the theory of the presence of 



* Caton, J. D., " Antelope and Deer of America," p. 214. 



t Nehring, A., " Tundren und Steppen," p. 203. 



| Tcherski, J. D., " Das Janaland, &c.," p. 496. 



Lydekker, E., " Geographical History of Mammals," p. 315. 



'I Scharff, R. F., " Mammiferes de la region holarctique," p. 448. 



