Pliohippus Draw (The Pits) (Neogene of the United States)

Also known as Quarry 5; South of Pliohippus Draw

Where: Sioux County, Nebraska (42.4° N, 103.8° W)

• Paleocoordinates: 44.3° N, 100.5° W (Wright 2013)

• coordinate based on political unit

When: Johnson Member (Snake Creek Formation), Hemphillian (9.4 - 4.7 Ma)

Environment/lithology: terrestrial

Primary reference: M. F. Skinner, S. M. Skinner, and R. J. Gooris. 1977. Stratigraphy and biostratigraphy of late Cenozoic deposits in central Sioux County, western Nebraska. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 158(5):263-370 [J. Alroy/J. Alroy/J. Alroy]more details

Purpose of describing collection: biostratigraphic analysis

PaleoDB collection 18323: authorized by John Alroy, entered by John Alroy on 30.04.1994, edited by Jonathan Marcot

Creative Commons license: CC0 (CC0)

Taxonomic list

Mammalia
 Rodentia - Castoridae
Dipoides cf. wilsoni4 Hibbard 1949 beaver
Castor cf. californicus Kellogg 1911 beaver
described by Stirton 1935
 Artiodactyla - Antilocapridae
Texoceros altidens Matthew 1924 pronghorn
from lower Johnson Mbr. in "Pliohippus Draw"; said to be "S. of Pliohippus Draw" by Frick 1937
 Artiodactyla - Dromomerycidae
"Dromomerycinae indet." = Dromomerycidae2
"Dromomerycinae indet." = Dromomerycidae2 Frick 1937 ruminant
Frick (p.83) lists this specimen from "'The Pits' S. of Pliohippus Draw" under Cranioceras unicornis, but states "probably generically distinct"
 Artiodactyla - Bovidae
Neotragocerus improvisus Matthew and Cook 1909 antelope
from lower Johnson Mbr. in "Pliohippus Draw"
 Artiodactyla - Tayassuidae
"Platygonus pollenae n. sp." = Platygonus brachirostris3
"Platygonus pollenae n. sp." = Platygonus brachirostris3 Shotwell 1956 peccary
 Perissodactyla - Equidae
Dinohippus leidyanus Osborn 1918 horse
Neohipparion sp.1 Gidley 1903 hipparionine horse
 Carnivora - Canidae
Epicyon saevus5 Leidy 1858 bone-crushing dog
"'The Pits' south of Pliohippus Draw"; also "Sand channel, West Draw"
Epicyon haydeni5 Leidy 1858 bone-crushing dog
"'The Pits,' south of Pliohippus Draw"; "Pliohippus Draw, Snake Creek Quarry"
Aelurodon taxoides5 Hatcher 1894 bone-crushing dog
"East fork of Pliohippus Draw... middle Hipparion Affine Channel"; also "Ashbrook Pasture... Hipparion Affine Channel" and specimen from "Pliohippus Draw, Snake Creek Quarry" thought to be reworked from the Laucomer Member; however, only the Johnson Member is exposed in this area
 Megatherioidea - Megalonychidae
Megalonyx curvidens Matthew 1924 edentate
 Proboscidea - Mammutidae
"Pliomastodon matthewi" = Mammut matthewi
"Pliomastodon matthewi" = Mammut matthewi Osborn 1921 mastodon
 Proboscidea - Gomphotheriidae
Gomphotherium sp.1 Burmeister 1837 gomphothere