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Show INSECT AS AGENT OF DESTINY Theories to Account for Death of Enormous Creatures That Once Roamed the Garth. To account for the death of thoso enormous creatures which once roamed our western country nnd peopled Its swamps and forests, tho older geologists geolo-gists devised convenient theories, such as changes of climate, volcanic disturbances, warfare among the species. spe-cies. As Information accumulated, It became be-came harder uud harder to tnuko tho theories fit the case. Given tlino nnd animal Ufo adapts Itself to changes of climate. Movement of tho earth are seldom so widespread that flight cannot can-not be taken from n disturbed area to ono of safety. If giant lizard fought mountainous mammal, why did the survivor sur-vivor go? Theory, It was seen, must bo In keeping with the law of probabilities. probabil-ities. A new nnd more reasouublo hypothesis has recently been brought forward. At the time that nature was experimenting experi-menting with monsters, there existed a lake In Colorado. It was surrounded with forests which were tenanted by hosts of Insects. A volcano burled tho hike nnd Its shores In ash. This hardened hard-ened Into stone. Scientists go to this nnclcnt graveyard, split the stone and bring to light the pet rilled bodies of the butterflies nnd moths, the beetles nuil bugs. Among these Insects are two species of tsetse Hies. There Is ).',hlug like them In America today. I tit In Africa they abound. They aro known' as the curriers of the sleeping sickness, ono of the deadliest of diseases. dis-eases. It Is fair to assume that tho tsetse flies of Mlocenu times were tho hosts or distributors of disease bacilli as they are now. Upon that assumption new theory can be constructed; Tho tsetse Hies developed Into a terrible pest. As they flourished, their victims grew less. In the course of centuries, the bulky citizens of plain and marsh gave up the warfare. They could fight ono another nnd yet live. They could not deal with merciless Insects. Tho theory has this merit whatever else It nuiy lack. It Is plausible where Its predecessors succumbed to clearer thinking. Toledo Blade. |