January 21, 1916] 



SCIENCE 



109 



l^fotliarctidae, the evolution of the teeth is 

 traced through a series of minute gradations 

 from the base of the true Eocene to its upper 

 levels. A restudy . of the famous " Anapto- 

 morphus " skull, with newly discovered referred 

 material shows that it is a distinct genus from 

 the lower jaw upon which this genus was orig- 

 inally founded; the dentition of several other 

 genera of this group is described chiefly on 

 new material, and all are referred to the same 

 family as the modern tarsier. Two other 

 groups, imperfectly known and of doubtful 

 affinities, the Microsyopidse and Apatemyidse, 

 are retained in the Insectivora, but their pri- 

 mate resemblances pointed out. 



The above-mentioned papers add largely to 

 the data for reconstructing the evolutionary 

 history of the order primates, including man, a 

 line of investigation that is being actively fol- 

 lowed. The latest results of researches upon 

 the " Piltdown Man " (Eoanihropus) are sum- 

 marized in the British Museum Guide to the 

 Fossil Remains of Man. 



An interesting announcement by Matthew 

 and Granger in the paper above cited is of the 

 discovery of a relative (Arctostylops) of the 

 peculiar Notoungulates of South America in 

 the North American Eocene. These extinct 

 hoofed animals were abundant in the Tertiary 

 of South America, but were supposed to be 

 wholly limited to that continent. Although 

 this announcement rests solely upon the evi- 

 dence of a lower jaw, the pattern of the pre- 

 molar and molar teeth is so characteristically 

 like the Notoungulate type and so unlike any 

 other that it is regarded as reasonably certain. 



Other sections of the same revision cover the 

 Condylarthra (Phenacodus, Ectocion, Menis- 

 cotherium, Hyopsodus, etc.) and the primi- 

 tive Camivora or Creodonta. The true dis- 

 tinctive characters of the genera and species of 

 these groups, based upon far larger collections 

 than had been previously known, are described, 

 several new genera and many new species de- 

 scribed, and the exact geologic horizon and 

 range of each species is specified. The affini- 

 ties of each species to those of earlier and later 

 horizons are discussed, and the materials and 

 evidence brought together for a faunal and 



phylogenetic final chapter when the revision 

 has been completed. 



The skeleton of Myotragus, a remarkable 

 type of antelope discovered in the Pleistocene 

 caves of the Balearic Islands by Miss Dorothea 

 Bate is described by Dr. C. W. Andrews^'^ of 

 the British Museiim of If atural History. It is 

 allied to the rupicarpine antelopes, but distin- 

 guished by a single pair of much-enlarged 

 rodent-like incisor teeth. From the later Ter- 

 tiaries of California Professor J. C. Merriam,'^ 

 of the University of California, describes vari- 

 ous new three-toed horses and other mammals, 

 and Dr. O. P. Hay,^^ of the U. S. National Mu- 

 setun, describes a skull of the rare and peculiar 

 Sirenian Desmostylus. Dr. Hay has also 

 published several valuable contributions on 

 American Pleistocene mammals, especially of 

 lowa.^"* From the Pliocene of Nebraska, Pro- 

 fessor E. H. Barbour,^^ of the University of 

 Nebraska, has secured a number of new probos- 

 cidean skeletons and skulls, adding largely to 

 our knowledge of this interesting group. Mr. 

 H. J. Cook,3e of Agate, Nebraska, and Dr. W. 

 J. Sinclair,^^ of Princeton University, also 

 describe a number of new Pliocene mammals 

 from Nebraska, including a remarkable ante- 

 lope with scimitar-shaped horns. From the 

 basal Eocene of Montana Mr. J. W. Gidley,^* 

 of the U. S. National Museimi, describes a 

 lower jaw referred to the Myrmecobiidse or 

 banded anteaters of Australia. 



siPfti?. Trans. Soy. Soc. London, Vol. 206, B, 

 pp. 281-305, 4 pis. 



32 ' ' New Protohippine Horses ' ' and other titles 

 in Bulletins of Dept. Geology, Univ. California; 

 Popular Science Monthly, March, 1915, pp. 

 245-264. 



33 Froc. V. S. Nat. Mus., Vol. 49, pp. 381-397, 

 3 pis. 



34 Ann. Report Iowa Geol. iSurv., Vol. 23, pp. 

 1-506, 75 pis. Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., Vol. 48, 

 pp. 515-575, 7 pis. 



35 State Journal, Lincoln, Neb., January .S, 

 1915. 



36 Four articles in Eep. NeirasTca Geol. Survey, 

 Volumes 4 and 7. 



37 Proc. Amer. Phil. Soc., Vol. 54, pp. 73-95. 



38 Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., Vol. 48, pp. 395-402, 

 pi. XXIII. 



