Arthur Conan Doyle

summary

At a London meeting Professor Summerlee summarized the expedition’s route and scientific results from the isolated plateau—many new insects and several living prehistoric forms (iguanodon, stegosaurus, pterodactyl, phororachus) plus anthropoid apes—while withholding its location. Dr. Illingworth moved to declare the claims “non‑proven,” but Professor Challenger produced photographs, specimens and a live pterodactyl from a packing‑case, provoking panic then public acclaim and a triumphant procession. The narrator adds personal aftermaths: the loss of Gladys to another man, Lord John Roxton’s discovery of valuable diamonds from the plateau, and plans to fund further exploration.