﻿THE 
  MAN 
  OF 
  THE 
  PAMPEAN 
  FORMATION 
  

  

  The 
  accompanying 
  cut, 
  for 
  which, 
  with 
  the 
  accompanying 
  notes, 
  we 
  

   are 
  indebted 
  to 
  Prof. 
  Ameghino, 
  of 
  Mercedes, 
  Buenos 
  Ayres, 
  exhi- 
  

   bits 
  a 
  transverse 
  section 
  of 
  the 
  stream 
  Frias, 
  demonstrating 
  the 
  geolo- 
  

   gical 
  constitution 
  of 
  the 
  strata 
  at 
  the 
  point 
  where 
  the 
  fossil 
  man 
  of 
  Mer- 
  

   cedes 
  was 
  found, 
  together 
  with 
  a 
  plan 
  of 
  the 
  excavation 
  made 
  in 
  exhu- 
  

   ming 
  the 
  remains. 
  

  

  The 
  Frias 
  flows 
  through 
  a 
  horizontal 
  plain 
  of 
  uniform 
  geological 
  

   structure; 
  its 
  depth 
  is 
  from 
  2 
  m. 
  to 
  2.30 
  m., 
  its 
  bed 
  being 
  scooped 
  out 
  

   of 
  the 
  pampean 
  strata. 
  Number 
  1 
  indicates 
  the 
  water-level; 
  2, 
  is 
  a 
  thin 
  

   layer 
  of 
  gravel 
  as 
  found 
  in 
  excavating 
  on 
  the 
  right 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  stream, 
  

   and 
  which 
  was 
  material 
  deposited 
  by 
  the 
  stream 
  which 
  it 
  had 
  washed 
  

   from 
  more 
  elevated 
  portions 
  of 
  its 
  bed; 
  number 
  3 
  is 
  a 
  layer 
  of 
  vege- 
  

   table 
  mold 
  10 
  cm. 
  in 
  thickness, 
  which 
  contains 
  numerous 
  bones 
  of 
  do- 
  

   mestic 
  animals 
  introduced 
  into 
  the 
  country 
  since 
  its 
  occupation 
  by 
  Euro- 
  

   peans; 
  number 
  4 
  is 
  a 
  stratum 
  40 
  cm. 
  in 
  thickness, 
  and 
  contains 
  the 
  bones 
  

   of 
  animals 
  indigenous 
  to 
  the 
  country, 
  and 
  number 
  5 
  is 
  a 
  very 
  clayey 
  stra- 
  

   tum 
  20 
  cm. 
  in 
  thickness, 
  and 
  contains 
  the 
  bones 
  of 
  extinct 
  species 
  of 
  

   animals, 
  but 
  in 
  a 
  poor 
  state 
  of 
  preservation; 
  number 
  6 
  is 
  a 
  marly 
  layer 
  

   30 
  cm. 
  in 
  thickness, 
  in 
  which 
  the 
  bones 
  of 
  the 
  great 
  extinct 
  mammals, 
  

   Mylodon, 
  Glyptodon, 
  etc., 
  are 
  found; 
  number 
  7 
  is 
  60 
  cm. 
  in 
  thickness, 
  

   is 
  not 
  nearly 
  so 
  marly 
  as 
  the 
  preceding, 
  and 
  also 
  contains 
  remains 
  of 
  

   extinct 
  animals; 
  number 
  8 
  is 
  55 
  cm. 
  in 
  thickness, 
  of 
  a 
  reddish 
  color, 
  and 
  

   ; 
  s 
  composed 
  exclusively 
  of 
  fine 
  sand 
  and 
  clay 
  mixed 
  together. 
  The 
  stra- 
  

   tum, 
  number 
  9, 
  which 
  is 
  more 
  than 
  1.5 
  m. 
  in 
  thickness, 
  is 
  only 
  distin- 
  

   guished 
  from 
  the 
  preceding 
  in 
  that 
  it 
  contains 
  a 
  larger 
  proportion 
  of 
  

   clay. 
  In 
  this 
  layer 
  of 
  pampean 
  soil, 
  at 
  the 
  base 
  of 
  the 
  excavation 
  indi- 
  

   cated 
  in 
  the 
  diagram, 
  and 
  at 
  a 
  lower 
  level 
  than 
  the 
  bed 
  of 
  the 
  stream, 
  

   there 
  where 
  human 
  bones 
  discovered, 
  together 
  with 
  rudely-shaped 
  flints, 
  

   apparently 
  used 
  in 
  extracting 
  the 
  marrow 
  from 
  bones, 
  a 
  perforated 
  fe- 
  

   mur 
  of 
  Eutatus, 
  bones 
  with 
  incised 
  and 
  some 
  with 
  radiate 
  markings 
  and 
  

   striae, 
  fragments 
  of 
  burnt 
  bones, 
  fragments 
  of 
  burnt 
  or 
  baked 
  earth 
  and 
  

   a 
  great 
  quantity 
  of 
  charred 
  vegetable 
  substances. 
  In 
  the 
  same 
  deposit, 
  

   mingled 
  with 
  the 
  objects 
  mentioned, 
  there 
  were 
  also 
  a 
  great 
  many 
  bones 
  

   of 
  animals 
  found, 
  which 
  indicated 
  the 
  following 
  species: 
  

  

  

  