▁series ▁of ▁scientific ▁expl or ations ▁of ▁Si ber ia . ▁ ▁Short ly ▁before ▁his ▁death ▁in ▁February ▁ 1 7 2 5 , ▁the ▁Ts ar ▁signed ▁an ▁ ▁order ▁author izing ▁a ▁second ▁great ▁expedition ▁to ▁the ▁east . ▁Over ▁the ▁course ▁of ▁his ▁life , ▁Peter ▁had ▁met ▁many ▁times ▁with ▁Gott fried ▁Wilhelm ▁Le ib n iz ▁( 1 6 4 6 – 1 7 1 6 ). ▁At ▁their ▁final ▁meeting ▁at ▁Bad ▁Py rm ont ▁in ▁ 1 7 1 6 , ▁Le ib n iz ▁spoke ▁of ▁a ▁possible ▁land ▁bridge ▁between ▁n ort he astern ▁Asia ▁and ▁the ▁North ▁America , ▁a ▁point ▁of ▁great ▁relev ance ▁in ▁contemporary ▁discussion ▁about ▁the ▁orig ins ▁of ▁human ity , ▁among ▁other ▁matters . ▁The ▁common ▁origin ▁of ▁humans ▁was ▁generally ▁accepted , ▁but ▁it ▁pos ed ▁the ▁problem ▁of ▁the ▁orig ins ▁of ▁human ▁settlement s ▁in ▁the ▁New ▁World . ▁To ▁resolve ▁the ▁question ▁of ▁a ▁land ▁bridge , ▁Peter ▁the ▁Great ▁sent ▁in ▁ 1 7 1 9 ▁the ▁ge odes ists ▁I wan ▁Jew re in ow ▁( 1 6 9 4 – 1 7 2 4 ) ▁and ▁F j odor ▁L usch in ▁( d ied ▁ 1 7 2 7 ) ▁to ▁the ▁eastern most ▁reaches ▁of ▁his ▁emp ire . ▁The ▁expedition ▁was ▁un success ful , ▁at ▁least ▁as ▁to ▁the ▁land ▁bridge ▁question . ▁In ▁ 1 7 2 4 , ▁Peter ▁gave ▁the ▁same ▁task