158 EVOLUTION IN THE PAST 



interfering as to be — except in appearance — quite ineffective. 

 The race, it is clear, was suffering from old age and conse- 

 quential eccentricities; and at the close of the Period it 

 returned to "the friendly elements." 

 ANTELOPE In North America some of the ruminants were develop- 

 ing into antelopes (^Cosoryx), some into mule and other deer 

 (Blastomeryx). In Europe a few smaU short-horned creatures 

 were not far short of being true antelopes (Protragoceras). 

 SHEEP And — ^probably from the same parent stock — some primi- 

 tive forms of sheep were now appearing (Criotherium). 

 CAMELS Camels certainly were becoming of nobler stature than 

 their poodle-sized forerunners. In North America — where 

 camel-life seems to have originated— animals were now to be 

 seen nearly as big as modem camels, although of somewhat 

 lighter build (JProcamelus). Whether they were humped or 

 not, it is impossible to say. Masses of fat, if ever they did 

 rise on the back, must long ago have been demolished by 

 Time, if not by quicker consumers. The backbone, it may be 

 mentioned, affords no information as to hump-building ; for 

 its outline would not have been affected by fatty super- 

 structure. 



The cervical vertebras of some of these forms (Alticamelus) 

 had become greatly elongated, resulting in a giraffe-hke neck. 

 The legs had also been lengthened ; and the hind-Umbs were 

 longer than those of a giraffe. The animals could thus feed 

 on foliage out of the reach of most members of the family. 

 The adaptations were, of course, advantageous to animals 

 in lands where low-growing vegetation was scarce or un- 

 inviting. To judge from the size of the brain-case, these crea- 

 tures were far less intelligent than existing camels — which 

 places their mental calibre very low. There is no evidence of 

 the survival of the race in the next Period. 



Giraffes, so far as evidence goes, had not yet appeared. 

 It is not, however, supposed that these long-necked camels 

 were on the line to Giraffe evolution. It is well known that 

 animals of different groups occasionally develop similar struc- 

 tures under the stress of similar conditions. 

 LAMAS Some of the camel-hke animals, it is clear, were develop- 

 ing into lamas {Pliauchenia). This humpless, and almost 



