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ON THE IMPORTANCE OF AFRICA 
Triassic beds of South Africa. These reptiles are of exceptional 
importance because they not only include forms which show 
relationships with the Amphibia, but also give a clue to the 
manner in which the reptiles gave rise to the mammals. The 
first detailed account of these remarkable creatures was given 
by Owen, and more recently their structure and relationships 
have been discussed by Seeley, Broom, Watson, and others, 
work which is still being vigorously carried on by the two 
last-named writers. The fact that the mammals originated 
from these reptiles may be regarded as demonstrated ; this 
is of particular importance because, if it can be certainly shown 
that the Mammalia really originated in Africa, and if parts of 
that continent have been land since this took place, then it is 
highly probable that somewhere or other there will be found 
mammalian remains of various periods, linking up the primitive 
Triassic or early Jurassic mammals with the modern types. 
Unfortunately, so far, no Secondary mammalian remains have 
been found, but in German East Africa beds of Cretaceous 
age containing skeletons of gigantic land Dinosaurs have been 
discovered, and it is in just such deposits that contemporary 
mammalian remains might be expected to occur. 
When we come to the Tertiary period the case is different, 
and already much has been done to render Professor Osborn’s 
remark obsolete. He himself suggested that probably Africa 
would be found to be the centre of origin of the Proboscidea, 
the Hyracoidea and the Sirenia, a prediction shortly afterwards 
proved true by the discovery of primitive members of these 
orders in the rich deposits of mammalian bones in the middle 
and Upper Eocene beds of the Fayum district of Egypt. These 
same beds have also yielded remains of animals which show 
that the Anthropoid apes and Toothed-whales probably origi- 
nated in the same region. Besides these there are a number 
of remarkable forms which seem to have died out without 
leaving any descendants in the fauna of to-day. One of these, 
Arsinoitherium, was a huge hoofed animal carrying a pair of 
large horns on the nose, and quite unlike anything known 
elsewhere. Here detailed reference need only be made to the 
Proboscidea. The earliest member of this group, Moeritherium 
is from the Middle Eocene of the Fayum ; it was an 
