﻿146 
  O. 
  C. 
  Marsh 
  — 
  The 
  Stylinodontia. 
  

  

  The 
  mastodon, 
  elephant, 
  llama, 
  deer, 
  peccary, 
  and 
  other 
  mam- 
  

   mals, 
  followed 
  the 
  same 
  path. 
  Why 
  the 
  mastodon, 
  elephant, 
  

   rhinoceros, 
  and 
  especially 
  the 
  horse, 
  should 
  have 
  been 
  selected 
  

   with 
  the 
  huge 
  Edentates 
  for 
  extinction, 
  and 
  the 
  other 
  Ungulates 
  

   left, 
  is 
  at 
  present 
  a 
  mystery, 
  which 
  their 
  somewhat 
  larger 
  size 
  

   hardly 
  explains." 
  * 
  * 
  * 
  

  

  ' 
  ; 
  I 
  have 
  already 
  given 
  you 
  some 
  reasons 
  for 
  believing 
  that 
  

   the 
  Edentates 
  had 
  their 
  first 
  home 
  in 
  North 
  America, 
  and 
  

   migrated 
  thence 
  to 
  the 
  southern 
  portion 
  of 
  the 
  continent. 
  

   This 
  movement 
  could 
  not 
  have 
  taken 
  place 
  in 
  the 
  Miocene 
  

   period, 
  as 
  the 
  Isthmus 
  of 
  Darien 
  was 
  then 
  submerged 
  ; 
  but, 
  

   near 
  the 
  close 
  of 
  the 
  Tertiary, 
  the 
  elevation 
  of 
  this 
  region 
  left 
  

   a 
  much 
  broader 
  strip 
  of 
  land 
  than 
  now 
  exists 
  there, 
  and 
  over 
  

   this 
  the 
  Edentates 
  and 
  other 
  mammals 
  made 
  their 
  way, 
  per- 
  

   haps 
  urged 
  on 
  by 
  the 
  increasing 
  cold 
  of 
  the 
  glacial 
  winters. 
  

   The 
  evidence 
  to-day 
  is 
  strongly 
  in 
  favor 
  of 
  such 
  a 
  southern 
  

   migration. 
  This, 
  however, 
  leaves 
  the 
  Old 
  World 
  Edentates, 
  

   fossil 
  and 
  recent, 
  unaccounted 
  for 
  ; 
  but 
  I 
  believe 
  the 
  solution 
  

   of 
  this 
  problem 
  is 
  essentially 
  the 
  same, 
  namely, 
  a 
  migration 
  

   from 
  North 
  America. 
  The 
  Miocene 
  representatives 
  of 
  this 
  

   group, 
  which 
  I 
  have 
  recently 
  obtained 
  in 
  Oregon, 
  are 
  older 
  

   than 
  any 
  known 
  in 
  Europe, 
  and, 
  strangely 
  enough, 
  are 
  more 
  

   like 
  the 
  latter 
  and 
  the 
  existing 
  African 
  types 
  than 
  like 
  any 
  of 
  

   our 
  living 
  species. 
  If, 
  now, 
  we 
  bear 
  in 
  mind 
  that 
  an 
  elevation 
  

   of 
  only 
  180 
  feet 
  would 
  close 
  Behring's 
  Straits 
  and 
  give 
  a 
  road 
  

   thirty 
  miles 
  wide 
  from 
  America 
  to 
  Asia, 
  we 
  can 
  easily 
  see 
  how 
  

   this 
  migration 
  might 
  have 
  taken 
  place. 
  That 
  such 
  a 
  Tertiary 
  

   bridge 
  did 
  exist, 
  we 
  have 
  much 
  independent 
  testimony, 
  and 
  the 
  

   known 
  facts 
  all 
  point 
  to 
  extensive 
  migrations 
  of 
  animals 
  

   over 
  it." 
  

  

  The 
  discoveries 
  made 
  within 
  the 
  last 
  two 
  decades, 
  or 
  since 
  

   the 
  above 
  was 
  written, 
  have 
  added 
  much 
  to 
  a 
  knowledge 
  of 
  the 
  

   subject 
  here 
  discussed, 
  but 
  have 
  not 
  modified 
  materially 
  the 
  

   conclusions 
  given 
  in 
  the 
  foregoing 
  quotations. 
  In 
  regard 
  to 
  

   the 
  origin 
  and 
  distribution 
  of 
  the 
  Edentates, 
  present 
  evidence 
  

   tends 
  to 
  confirm 
  the 
  opinion 
  there 
  recorded, 
  that 
  this 
  great 
  

   group 
  of 
  peculiar 
  mammals 
  originated 
  in 
  North 
  America, 
  and 
  

   migrated 
  to 
  other 
  parts 
  of 
  the 
  earth, 
  where 
  their 
  remains 
  have 
  

   since 
  been 
  found, 
  or 
  their 
  living 
  representatives 
  still 
  exist. 
  

  

  Tale 
  University, 
  New 
  Haven, 
  Conn., 
  January 
  19th, 
  1897. 
  

  

  