222 ANNALS NEW YORK ACADEMY OF SCIENCES 



The precise researches of Pilgrim, 3 published subsequent to the corre- 

 lation proposed by the author in 1910 in the Pliocene chapter of the 

 "Age of Mammals," 4 have resulted in a new classification and correlation 

 of the Tertiary flood-plain deposits of India which are of the utmost im- 

 portance and interest to students both of phylogeny and of geographic 

 distribution and migration. 



In geologic time the Indian series extends from the Bugti beds, which 

 are of Aquitanian or Upper Oligocene age, to the uppermost Pliocene of 

 the Upper Siwaliks. The correlation with the successive intermediate 

 phases of European life appears to be quite close. 



As regards the origin of the Proboscidea, the author discovers in the 

 Upper Oligocene of India animals which he believes resemble the Lower 

 Oligocene Palceomastoclon as well as the Moeritlierium of the Fayum de- 

 posits of northern Egypt. These animals are referred to respectively as 

 Hemimastodon and Moeritlierium. This discovery would favor the hy- 

 pothesis that the Proboscidea may have originated in southern Asia 

 rather than in Africa. Pilgrim believes that the Mastodon cautleyi of 

 the Upper Miocene of Perim Island gave rise to the Stegodon types of 

 the uppermost Miocene of Pikermi age, namely, to 8. clifti and 8. bom- 

 bifrons, from which originated the genus Elephas which first appears in 

 the dominant type Elephas planifrons of Middle to Upper Pliocene times 

 in strata 3,000 feet ahove those in which the earliest forms of Stegodon 

 occur. 



The species E. planifrons is especially important because it has re- 

 cently been recognized by Schle singer 5 in the Pliocene "Belvederschot- 

 ter" north of Dobermannsdorf near Vienna. The horizon is regarded as 

 of Middle Pliocene or even earlier age. Pavlow 6 has also recorded the 

 occurrence of E. planifrons from beds in Bessarabia which are regarded 

 as of Lower Pliocene age. In the Upper Pliocene of Europe occurs 

 Elephas merid.ionalis which is regarded as a descendant of E. planifrons, 

 while in the Upper Pliocene of India occurs the Elephas hysudricus, 

 which Pohlig considers as a geographic variety of the European E. merid- 

 ionalis. In the uppermost Pliocene of India also occurs the Dicerorhinus 

 platyrhinus, which is believed to be closely related to the D. etruscus of 

 the Upper Pliocene of the Val d'Arno of Italy. 



Some authors mistakenly regard the "Altelephant" (E. antiquus) of 



8 Pilgrim, Guy B. : "The Correlation of the Siwaliks with Mammal Horizons of Eu- 

 rope." Records, Geol. Surv. India, Vol. xliii, Part 4, pp. 264-326, PI. 26. 1913. 



* See Life of Southern Asia, pp. 323-332, "Age of Mammals." 



5 Schlesingsr, Padl : "Studien iiher die Stammesgeschichte der Proboscidier," Jahrb. 

 d. k. Geol. Reichs., Vol. 62, pp. 87-182. Vienna, 1912. 



8 Pavlow., Marie : "Les elephants posttertiaires de diverses localites en Russie," Ann. 

 geol. et mineralog. de la Russie, vol. xi, pp. 171-174. Moscou, 1910. 



