PREHISTORIC RELICS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18713, 20 May 1924, Page 9

PREHISTORIC RELICS.

FRESHWATER SPONGES.

WEST" AUSTRALIAN FINDS.

"/ fjraOM OTTE OWN COEBESTOSIffIOT.] V." SYDNEY, May 8. V The accidental discovery in a 'West Australian lake of (certain'; curious sponges by a gentleman ; not directly interested science ■ andfsubmitted ':. by him ;' ; to Mr. Giauert, of the Perth Museum, has opened up a most interesting line of Ltheoretical research concerning the topo- [ graphical evolution of the Continent. j When .the discovery ■ 'was; presented to him by Mr. R. Whiteford, who had found lit!.' in Lake Yangebup, Mr. Giauert- immediately recognised it as the rare freshwater,; sponge, ~*• technically known as Ephydatia, of which fragments had been previously discovered, :, but :; the presence of c which in such a" state of vigour and quantity •as X Mr. Whftegord's ; specimen and description indicated had never been suspected. r ; Mr. ; Giauert 7 immediately set. oft with Mr, Whiteford • for the lake ; and: the two men began, their quest. i Within a few minutes va v particularly fine specimen of Ephydatia had been secured, better ? even than > the : original discovery of Mr. Whiteford. Placed immediately in. a ' jar of water, ;;the sponge ■?was/ preserved intaot and \is now on /view* in the; entrance hall of the museum. ; .: In ; appearance Ephydatia -; is very similar to the common sea sponge, ? but • infother: respects it is quite different., ; It lacks absolutely the sturdiness of; its salt water, cousin, and may be irreparably crushed <■ by the ;i pressure of the; fingers. If not kept in water, the surface of the sponge assumes \ a slimy aspect, v and decomposition sets in,;; so that in "a short time ':■ it :' loses ■ its delicate white appearance j and rots away, with an accompanying disagreeable odour. //The importance of % Ephydatia lies, not in its commercial value {for that is nil), but i r in its value as ;, an historical, record. It is a "/survival of > v a pre-historic; day, the Cretaceous; period, when a huge continent extended ; over ; the _ region of % the Indian : Ocean, including South' Africa and Australia in one land mass. The sponge is; found to-day in South Afrioan lakes ! and -in the ;" fresh waters of Eastern Australia, in considerable quantities. ; t It is therefore regarded as a proof of the existence of the ancient continent./ ;; Of j equal - importance perhaps was ; the discovery by Mr. Giauert that the -waters of the Lake Yangebup are ; swarming with tiny vcrustaceans; rejoicing in the name of Phreatcicus, a ■ survival of an age even | older/than the . Gretaceous. This was the Carboniferous age, when ■; our coal was still growing in ':. the form of huge forests. ; At ; that time ; the continent / extended beyond Australia to South America scientists :| to-day : calling it Ancient Gondinana/ /;/Of that period there /are few survivals, and /all: are of the minute crustacean 'type'. ■ / Besides Phreatoicus* there is Deto,; a similar creature, found on ; the seashores, and '?. ordinarily known as the sandhopper. It also has a" close relative in the freshwater Chiltoria, which Mr. Giauert also found at Yangebup. . ! ; Of the , three creatures, the • first and last are found in the fresh/waters / :of South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and South America, while Deto is found on the ; sea coasts •of the same countries. A familiar/creature, related to and in appearance - almost identical with Phreatoicus, ;is /the - common wood louse, or pill bug, which can be found under almost any piece of wood which has lain, on the ground for any considerable time. / / ; ■\ ; Mr. - ; Giauert also found ' several specimens of a /crustacean , similar to ; those mentioned, but which he has not as yet been able to identify. ■;