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ANNALS NEW YORK ACADEMY OF 8CIENCE& 



character of the African high plateau fauna, rich in antelopes, giraffes, 

 zebra-like ancestors of the horse, elephants, rhinoceroses, hyaenas and 

 apes. Late in Diluvial times in Europe numerous representatives of 

 what we now consider a tropical African fauna, including hippopotami, 

 lions, hyaenas and apes, were widely distributed. 



Asiatic and European Affinities. — The total assemblage of the Pleisto- 

 cene life of north Africa may be summarized as follows from Pomel : 



A noteworthy distinction between 

 north Africa and Europe is the sur- 

 vival in north Africa of the masto- 

 dons throughout early Pleistocene 

 times; also of several species of hip- 

 parions side by side on the plains of 

 iSTumidia with the early north Afri- 

 can horses 10 or zebras. Both the 

 mastodons and the hipparions are 

 absent in the Pleistocene of Europe. 

 We may now review the life of 

 north Africa itself in Pleistocene 

 times. Six species of elephant 

 occur, including the mastodons, the 

 southern mammoth (E. meridiona- 

 Jis), and the "old elephant" (L. an- 

 tiquus). The most characteristic 

 and widespread elephant (L. atlan- 

 ticus) belongs to the African sub- 

 genus Loxodon while differing from 

 the recent African elephant (L. 



Man (Homo, Late Pleistocene) 

 Mastodon (Early Pleistocene only) 

 Elephants (several species related 



both to Loxodon and to Eleplias) 

 Rhinoceroses (two species of the 



African, or Diceros type) 

 Hipparions, zebras and asses 

 Camels 



Giraffes (Libytherium, Giraffa) 

 Wild cattle (Bos), three species 

 Buffalo (Buoalus) 

 Dwarf antelopes, gazelles, gnus, oryx, 



nagor. elands 

 Hippopotami 

 Wild boar (Sus) 

 Wart hogs (Pliacocliozrus) 

 Lions (two cavern species) 

 Hyaenas (spotted and striped) 

 Jackals (CwnAs aureus), India 

 Macaques (of northern origin) 

 Deer (of the Cervus type, one 



species) 

 Bear (of the Helarctos group) 

 Wild sheep and goats (Ovis palceo- 



tragus, 0. promaza) 



africanus) in several points. The 

 latter species only occurs in the recent deposits of the latest prehistoric 

 period. 



Similarly the two species of rhinoceros (D. mauritanicus, D. subiner- 

 mis) resemble the modern African types, but there is nothing to indicate 

 the presence either of the modern African "black" (D. bicornis) or 

 "white" (D. simus) species. 



Among the Pleistocene horses, in addition to the surviving hipparions 

 and the species (E. numidicus) related to the Yal D'Arno type of Eu- 

 rope, there is a third species (E. mauritanicus) which exhihits tooth 

 characters of the recent zebra. Thus there is every reason to believe that 



10 Boule, M. : "Observations sur quelques lsquides Fossiles." Bull. Soc. Geol. France, 

 Ser. 3, vol. xxvii, pp. 531-542. 1899. 



