24 E. H. SELLARDS 



implements, although obtained from the siftings and hence not 

 seen in place, are, with little doubt, to be attributed to the same 

 source. 



The presence of man in the Pleistocene of Europe has long been 

 known, and his assumed absence from the Pleistocene of America 

 is based entirely on negative evidence. How insecure as a basis 

 of argument in paleontology is negative evidence has been repeat- 

 edly demonstrated, and new groups with Old World affinities are 

 constantly being recovered from the North American formations. 

 A striking illustration is the eland obtained in 19 13 by Gidley from 

 the Pleistocene of Maryland, the relationship of which is closer 

 to the modern eland of Africa than to any other known species, the 

 dispersion and migration of the group having probably occurred 

 during the Pleistocene period. 1 Another illustration is afforded 

 by the bears. Heretofore, it has been assumed that members of 

 the bear group were comparatively recent migrants to the New 

 World, but during the past summer representatives of the true 

 Ursidae were obtained practically simultaneously in Oregon 2 and 

 in Florida. 3 Numerous other illustrations might be given, and in 

 fact the rapidity with which new species are being obtained and 

 described is evidence of our heretofore imperfect knowledge of the 

 Pleistocene faunas. Man lived with and hunted Elephas primi- 

 genius in Europe, and it is not improbable that he may have 

 followed the spread of that species to America. The evidence 

 obtained at this new locality in Florida, supplementing the less 

 positive evidence that has heretofore been available, affords proof 

 that man reached America at an early date and was present on 

 this Continent in association with a Pleistocene fauna. 



'James Williams Gidley, "An Extinct American Eland," Smithsonian Miscel- 

 laneous Collections, LX, No. 27 (March, 1913). 



2 John C. Merriam, Chester Stock, and Clarence L. Moody, "An American 

 Pliocene Bear," Univ. ofCal. Publ., X, No. 7 (November 1, 1916). 



3 E. H. Sellards, "Fossil Vertebrates from Florida," Fla. Geol. Surv., Eighth Annual 

 Report (October, 1916). 



