THE QUATERNARY PERIOD 371 



feeder. This powerful creature could easily have toppled over 

 small trees in order to strip off the leaves. The Glyptodon (see 

 Fig. 230) was a giant Armadillo up to 8 feet long and armed with 

 a very strong turtle-like carapace. These Edentates, including 

 many species, were common in South America and in North Amer- 

 ica as far north as Pennsylvania and Oregon. 



The Proboscidians were well represented by both the Mastodons 

 and the Mammoths. These were smaller than those of the late 

 Tertiary or about the size of modern Elephants. " During Pleisto- 

 cene times the Proboscidia covered all of the great land masses 

 except Australia, but were diminishing in numbers, and toward 

 the close of the Pleistocene the period of decadence began, result- 

 ing in the extinction of all but the Indian and African Elephants 

 of today." l The Mastodon roamed only over much of North 

 America and part of South America, having become extinct in the 

 Old World in the late Tertiary. The Mammoth had a much wider 

 range from the Atlantic states to Alaska; across Siberia; through 

 central Europe; and even to the British Isles. Fine examples of 

 the almost perfect preservation of entire organisms of now extinct 

 forms are furnished by specimens of frozen Mammoths which 

 have been in nature's "cold storage" for thousands of years in the 

 gravels or ice of Siberia. In several cases much of the hide, long 

 brown hair, and even the flesh are known to have been perfectly pre- 

 served, the flesh having been eaten by dogs or even the natives 

 themselves. Two of the finest specimens were discovered in 1806 

 and 1901. 



In addition to the above-mentioned animals in North America, 

 were gigantic Bisons, with spread of horns up to 10 feet; great 

 Moose-like Elks; Rodents, up to 5 feet long; Sabre-toothed Tigers; 

 huge Lions, and several species of Zebra-like Horses. 



Distribution of Quarternary Plants and Animals. — The 

 alternations of glacial and interglacial climates caused corres- 

 ponding migrations of colder and warmer climate animals and 

 plants. While a great ice sheet was advancing, Arctic animals 

 and plants ranged farther and farther southward even into what 

 are now temperate latitudes. Thus the Musk-ox ranged southward 

 to Iowa and Kentucky, and the Walrus to Virginia, while in Europe 

 the Reindeer, Arctic Fox, etc., ranged southward into France. 

 During the retreat of a great ice sheet, the Arctic fauna and flora 

 1 R. S. Lull: Amer. Jour. Set., Vol. 25, March, 1908, p. 11. 



