EOCENE PERIOD 117 



moral qualities of the mammals were undoubtedly great 

 factors in the dynastic question. 



So far as evidence goes none of the mammals before this 

 Period were of higher rank than pouched creatures, bringing 

 forth their young in an extremely immature condition. And 

 it is not until the beginning of Eocene times that remains of 

 placental animals are found ; i.e. of animals whose young 

 are well nourished and developed before birth. 



There can be little doubt that the Eocene placentals 

 had been developed from marsupials of earlier days ; and as 

 might be supposed they retained close affinities with the latter. 

 They were doubtless more intelligent ; but the brain, as 

 with marsupials, was small in proportion to the size of the 

 body. 



The animals had not become so far differentiated as to 

 make them closely comparable with any members of the 

 existing mammal Orders. But intermixed though they were 

 in affinities, they exhibited some notable differences. It is 

 clear, therefore, that some important divergences had taken 

 place before the " new dawn." 



Some of the first-known creatures wandering about Eocene condy- 

 prairies and woodlands, are called the " knuckle-jointed " larthra 

 (Condylarthra), owing to a peculiarity in the structure of 

 their feet. The animals were of small size, and probably 

 bore greater resemblance to coneys (Hyrax) than to any 

 other creatures now living. They differed markedly from 

 coneys, however, in having long tails and five-toed feet. 

 Their toes cannot be said to have been either hoofed or 

 clawed ; but the homy sheaths with which they terminated 

 showed a tendency to become hoofs rather than claws. To 

 judge from their teeth, the " knuckle- jointed " creatures 

 subsisted on a vegetation diet, varied occasionally by feasts 

 on insects. 



Other forms, probably suggestive of bear-cubs and baby amblypods 

 hippo's rolled into one, are known as amblypods, as they 

 possessed feet of a short and stumpy character. They also 

 were five-toed animals, as, no doubt, was the rule with all 

 primitive mammals — and the toes seem to have been guarded 

 by little hoofs (Pantolamhda). The " blunt-footed " creatures 



