AGE OF HUMANS

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 16772, 11 October 1928, Page 4

AGE OF HUMANS

IS 150,000 YEARS ADVANCES TOR DEVELOPMENT GOBI EXPEDITION RESULTS I’EKIX, August 18. Surrounded by the contents of 90 huge packing cases tilled with human and animal fossils, and stone implements which tear many veils of mystery from the life, of primitive man and disclose the ancient existence of forms of mammal life hitherto undreamed of, Roy Chap man Andrews estimates his fourth ecu tral Asiatic expedition to the Gobi and unexplored portions of Mongolia, as the most successful of all Ins ventures, 'Uhou.gjt the 'hoped-for discoveries of pre-dawn man were not made, entirely new light is thrown by the findings on the old and new Slone Age, and complete skeletons were found of new mammalian forms which outweighed by tons the, largest mastodons known. NEW STONE AGIO FINDS. “On the human side, our discoveries thus year trace a pattern of the changes of human life in the Neolithic period marking the transition from (ho old to the new Stone Age through the dune dwellers,” said Dr. Andrews. “Though many of the implements gathered data back 150,000 years, and most interesting finds show that 20,000 years ago Mongolia was much more densely populated than now by the dune dwellers, who, when saturation was reached, probably spread into China, then into Siberia, and thence to Alaska and also to Europe. The discoveries are closely related to the Alzidian age of flints in France and Scandinavia. This migration was caused by the growing aridity of Mongolia, which once had abundant rainfall and luxuriant foliages. A few of such implements were found three years ago, but tin's year thousands were brought back. Tlie dune dwellers lived in margins of lakes, in shelters of animal skins, had the horse or wild ass partly domesticated and were clever huntsmen. Birds and frogs were evidently the main diet. They made arrow and spear points of quartzite and chalcedony. Kitchen midden,s indicate the same location in the villages was used thousands of years on end. For adornment were used necklaces of pierced cane teeth. The tribes were, co existent with the giant ostriches, now extinct, of which shells and eggs were found. LARGEST MAMMAL TRACED.

“Two complete skulls, one complete skeleton and fragments of 1.5 others of the same species, reveal for fhe first time the existence of mummed, herbivorous mammal adults weighing 20 tons, the largest land' mammal ever found. This new family is related to the rliiuoeerous and is akin to the balnchitei'ium, which lived six million years ago. The height was 25ft. and the length of the body was the same. The bone between the elbow and shoulder has a circumference of a man’s torso with a. length of 4ft.

“Through the discovery of this gigantic mammal opens a whole new chapter of conjecture of animal life. One of the most interesting finds is that of the litanothere, of an altogether new type. Heretofore, titanothere were found only in North America, hut we received seven skulls almost the size of that modern adult, the elephant,” said Andrews. “These specimens show unique structure, an enormous nasal hone, not tusk, rising straight in the air for oft. above the eyes, ending in a flat bulbous projection. The top of the skull is saddle shaped. The head is disproportionately large for the body.” NEW DINOSAUR TYPES. The cultural traces date hack 20,000 scars, but there are some indications dating as far hack as 150,000 years, while some pieces of a giant ostrich egg shell evidently used as ornaments are L:elie\ed to have been much older. Fossil remains of 'a new species of mastodon, with curious spatulate jaws 6ft. long, were found. Exploring a clay hill, the chief paleontologist, Walter Granger, uncovered three nests of duckbill dinosaur eggs, differing from JJr. .vnibews’ previous finds . They are larger and nearer to a cylindrical shape and establish the fact that the. dinosaurus lived in two different sections of ongolia. SUFFERINGS OF EXPEDITION The expedition, which consisted of eight motor trucks, 125 camels and 37 men, travelled SCOO miles, mostly m northern and northeastern inner Mongolia, mapping much unexplored terri tory. and raising new geological horizons. Dr. Andrews is enthusiastic, and declares he never did better on a trip, although the expedition was the hardest thvit he had ever experienced. In one period of almost- six weeks incessant sand storms, prohibited leaving the camp. During that time Dr. Andrews had accidentally shot himself in the leg, and owing to the driving sand the physicians had the utmost difficulty in dressing the wound. Finally, the terrific heat caused the bursting of gasoline tins and enforced premature return of the party. Many of the camels died from lack of fodder.

Part of tlie expedition is returning to the United States. The other members, including Dr. Andrews, are remaining here to prepare the specimens.