BULLETIN OF THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 



Vol. 29, pp. 657-666 DECEMBER 30, 1918 



PROCEEDINGS OF THE PALEONTOLOGICAL SOCIETY 



AFFINITIES AND OEIGIN OF THE ANTILLEAN MAMMALS ' 



BY W. D. MATTHEW 



{Read hefore the Paleontological Society January 1, 1918) 



CONTENTS 



Page 

 Limitations and relationships of "West Indian mammal faunas, living and 



extinct 657 



In general 657 



The insectivora 658 



The rodentia 659 



The edentata 660 



Bats and birds 661 



Reptiles 661 



Summary of aflanities and probable origin of the vertebrate groups 662 



Is the incomplete and unbalanced character of the fauna real or only 



apparent? 663 



Conclusions as to former geographic relations and manner of colonization. 664 



Limitations and Eelationships of West Indian mammal Faunas, 



Living and Extinct 



in general 



The indigenous land mammals of the West Indies consist of three 

 groups: (1) Insectivora, (2) hystricomorph rodents, (3) gravigrade 

 edentates. No perissodactyls (horses, rhinoceroses, tapirs, etcetera), no 

 artiodactyls (peccaries, deer, antelopes, etcetera), no proboscideans (ele- 

 phants, mastodons, etcetera), no true carnivores (dogs, cats, raccoons, 

 mustelines, bears, etcetera). Nor are there any sciuromorph, lagomorph, 

 or myomorph rodents, shrews, moles, hedgehogs, or opossums. All these 

 large groups, most of them abundant and varied in Tertiary North Amer- 

 ica, are wholly absent. Nor do the Insectivora, rodents, or edentates in- 

 clude anything at all nearly allied to any North American members of 



1 Manuscript received by the Secretary of tlie Society August 22, 1918. 



(657) 



