Port Kennedy Cave: Irvingtonian, Pennsylvania

List of taxa
Where & when
Geology
Taphonomy & methods
Metadata & references
Taxonomic list
Insecta - Coleoptera - Carabidae
Cymindis aurora n. sp. Horn 1876
Horn 1876 1 specimen
(1 measurement)
Dicaelus sp. Bonelli 1813
Horn 1876 1 specimen
Dicaelus alutaceus n. sp. Horn 1876
Horn 1876 1 specimen
(1 measurement)
? Pterostichus sp. Bonelli 1810
Horn 1876 1 specimen
(1 measurement)
Pterostichus sp. Bonelli 1810
Horn 1876 2 specimens
(2 measurements)
    = Pterostichus laevigatus n. sp. Scudder 1890
Scudder 1890
Chlaenius punctulatus n. sp. Horn 1876
Horn 1876 1 specimen
(1 measurement)
Cychrus wheatleyi n. sp. Horn 1876
Horn 1876 1 specimen
recombined as Scaphinotus wheatleyi
(2 measurements)
Cychrus minor n. sp. Horn 1876
Horn 1876 2 specimens
recombined as Scaphinotus minor
(1 measurement)
Insecta - Coleoptera - Scarabaeidae
Aphodius precursor n. sp. Horn 1876
Horn 1876 1 specimen
(1 measurement)
? Choeridium ebeninum n. sp. Horn 1876
Horn 1876 1 specimen
nomen dubium belonging to Ateuchus
(2 measurements)
Phanaeus antiquus n. sp. Horn 1876
Horn 1876 1 specimen
nomen dubium belonging to Phanaeus
(2 measurements)
Mammalia - Rodentia - Erethizontidae
Erethizon ? dorsatum (Linnaeus 1758)
includes type of "E. cloacinum" referred to "Coendou sp." by White 1970: Frazier 1981
Mammalia - Rodentia - Sciuridae
Marmota cf. monax (Linnaeus 1758)
Daeschler 1996
Mammalia - Rodentia - Castoridae
Castor canadensis Kuhl 1820
Mammalia - Rodentia - Zapodidae
Zapus hudsonius (Zimmermann 1780)
    = Zapus sp. Coues 1876
Kurten and Anderson 1980
may be Z. sandersi; omitted by Daeschler 1996
Mammalia - Rodentia - Cricetidae
Microtus diluvianus n. sp. Cope 1896
Cope 1896
recombined as Neofiber diluvianus
Peromyscus ? leucopus (Rafinesque 1818)
omitted by Daeschler 1996
Microtus speothen (Cope 1871)
    = Arvicolinae indet. Gray 1821
Kurten and Anderson 1980
"M. dideltus", and "M. involutus" are all nomina dubia and could be Pitymys
Anaptogonia cloacina n. sp. Cope 1896
Cope 1896
synonym of Ondatra idahoensis
Anaptogonia hiatidens n. sp. (Cope 1871)
synonym of Ondatra idahoensis
Mammalia - Lagomorpha - Leporidae
Sylvilagus floridanus (Allen 1890)
Mammalia - Lagomorpha - Ochotonidae
? Ochotonidae indet. Thomas 1897
Kurten and Anderson 1980
"Praotherium" or "? Ochotona" palatina
Mammalia - Soricidae
Blarina simplicidens n. sp. Cope 1899
synonym of Blarina brevicauda
Mammalia - Talpidae
Scalopus sp. Geoffroy 1803
omitted by Daeschler 1996
Mammalia - Perissodactyla - Tapiridae
Tapirus haysii Leidy 1860
recombined as Tapirus (Helicotapirus) haysii
includes type of "T. copei": see Ray and Sanders 1984
Mammalia - Perissodactyla - Equidae
Equus pectinatus Cope 1901
Equus complicatus Leidy 1858
omitted by Daeschler 1996
Mammalia - Tayassuidae
Mylohyus fossilis (Leidy 1860)
includes "M. pennsylvanicus" and "Platygonus tetragonus"; "M. nasutus" is listed by Daeschler 1993, 1996
Mammalia - Camelidae
Teleopternus orientalis n. gen., n. sp. Cope 1899
Cope 1899
Mammalia - Cervidae
Odocoileus virginianus (Zimmermann 1780)
Cariacus laevicornis n. sp. Cope 1896
Cope 1896
recombined as Dama laevicornis
Mammalia - Carnivora - Felidae
Smilodontopsis gracilis n. sp. (Cope 1880)
original and current combination Smilodon gracilis
Uncia mercerii n. sp. Cope 1895
Cope 1895 2 individuals
synonym of Smilodon gracilis
Panthera onca (Linnaeus 1758)
Seymour 1993
also suggested by Simpson 1941b
Lynx calcaratus n. sp.
Mammalia - Carnivora - Hyaenidae
Crocuta inexpectatus n. sp.
Cope 1895 1 specimen
(1 measurement)
Mammalia - Carnivora - Mephitidae
Osmotherium spelaeum Cope 1896
includes types of "Pelycictis lobulatus" and three other Cope species; "? Mephitis nigra" is of dubious provenance: Hall 1936
Mephitis orthostichus n. sp. Cope 1896
Cope 1896
synonym of Osmotherium spelaeum
Mephitis fossidens n. sp. Cope 1896
Cope 1896
synonym of Osmotherium spelaeum
Pelycictis lobulatus n. gen., n. sp. Cope 1896
Cope 1896
synonym of Osmotherium spelaeum
Brachyprotoma obtusata n. sp. (Cope 1899)
Mammalia - Carnivora - Mustelidae
Gulo gidleyi Hall 1936
    = Gulo gulo Linnaeus 1758
Alroy 2002
Martes diluviana (Cope 1889)
recombined as Pekania diluviana
Lutra rhoadsii Cope 1896
    = Lontra canadensis Schreber 1776
Alroy 2002
Taxidea taxus (Schreber 1778)
Mammalia - Carnivora - Ursidae
Arctodus haplodon n. sp. (Cope 1896)
synonym of Arctodus pristinus
Ursus haplodon n. sp. Cope 1896
Cope 1896
synonym of Arctodus pristinus
Euarctos americanus (Pallas 1780)
original and current combination Ursus americanus
Mammalia - Carnivora - Canidae
Urocyon cinereoargenteus (Schreber 1775)
Canis dirus Leidy 1858
    = Canis sp. Linnaeus 1758
Nowak 1979
Canis priscolatrans Cope 1899
    = Canis rufus Audubon and Bachman 1851
Nowak 1979
    = Canis armbrusteri Gidley 1913
Tedford et al. 2009
Mammalia - Megalonychidae
Megalonyx wheatleyi Cope 1871
includes "M. loxodon", "M. tortulus", and "M. scalper" (6 measurements)
Mammalia - Mylodontidae
Mylodon harlani (Owen 1840)
    = Paramylodon ? harlani Owen 1840
Alroy 2002
omitted by Daeschler 1996
Mammalia - Proboscidea - Mammutidae
Mammut americanum (Kerr 1792)
Reptilia - Testudines - Emydidae
Terrapene carolina (Linnaeus 1758)
Parris and Daeschler 1995
includes type of Toxaspis anguillulatus
Toxaspis anguillulatus n. sp. Cope 1899
Cope 1899
synonym of Terrapene eurypygia
ANSP 155 (holotype), a partial carapace (Cope 1899, pl. 14.1; Hay 1908, fig. 469).
Clemmys insculpta (Le Conte 1830)
Parris and Daeschler 1995
recombined as Glyptemys insculpta
Emydoidea blandingii (Holbrook 1838)
Parris and Daeschler 1995
Reptilia - Testudines
Geochelone percrassa n. sp. (Cope 1899)
Parris and Daeschler 1995
nomen dubium belonging to Testudinoidea
Reptilia - Colubridae
Coluber sp. Linnaeus 1758
Gilmore 1938 1 specimen
"In 1871 Wheatley published a short paper reviewing briefly the fauna of the Port Kennedy Cave in which he listed two species of Coluber. No mention was made of the character of the material on which the identifications were based. It is presumed that one of the specimens so listed was later described as Coluber acuminatus by Cope, but the other insofar as the author can find, was not afterward mentioned in the literature. Since the specimen is apparently lost, the authenticity of the determination by Wheatley will always remain in doubt."
Coluber acuminatus n. sp. (Cope 1899)
Gilmore 1938 1 specimen
(Type lost, no number), fractured skull and 25 anterior thoracic vertebrae
Natrix sp. Laurenti 1768
Gilmore 1938
Provisionally placed here. "Wheatley in 1871 reported Tropodonotus (Natrix) as being present in the Port Kennedy Cave fauna in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. These specimens have now been lost. No mention of this genus was made by Cope in his subsequent papers discussing this fauna so that the presence of this genus in this fauna and in the fossil record rests entirely upon the evidence of Wheatley’s statement."
see common names

Geography
Country:United States State/province:Pennsylvania County:Montgomery
Coordinates: 40.2° North, 75.3° West (view map)
Paleocoordinates:40.2° North, 75.1° West
Basis of coordinate:based on political unit
Time
Period:Quaternary Epoch:Pleistocene
10 m.y. bin:Cenozoic 6
Key time interval:Irvingtonian
Age range of interval:1.80000 - 0.30000 m.y. ago
Stratigraphy
Lithology and environment
Primary lithology: not reported
Environment:cave
Taphonomy
Modes of preservation:body
Size of fossils:macrofossils
Collection methods and comments
Reason for describing collection:general faunal/floral analysis
Taxonomic list comments:new list of Daeschler 1996 is based on Gidley and Gazin and contains numerous errors and omissions
"? Myotis sp.": a bat; omitted by Daeschler 1996

"Vulpes latidentatus" is omitted by Daeschler 1996 and not discussed by Kurten and Anderson 1980 or other sources

"Sciurus calycinus" is omitted by Kurten and Anderson 1980

not clear what "Teleopternus orientalis" and "Odocoileus laevicornis" are; former is listed by Daeschler 1996

"Bison sp." is not present: Kurten and Anderson 1980
Metadata
Database number:20479
Authorizer:J. Alroy, E. Vlachos, M. Clapham, P. Barrett, J. Marcot Enterer:J. Alroy, J. Marcot, E. Vlachos, J. Karr, T. Cleary, M. Clapham
Modifier:J. Karr Research group:vertebrate
Created:1993-02-18 00:00:00 Last modified:2012-07-01 17:55:56
Access level:the public Released:1993-02-18 00:00:00
Creative Commons license:CC BY
Reference information

Primary reference:

1628. J. W. Gidley and C. L. Gazin. 1938. The Pleistocene vertebrate fauna from Cumberland Cave, Maryland. United States National Museum Bulletin 171:1-99 [J. Alroy/J. Alroy/M. Uhen]

Secondary references:

6294 J. Alroy. 2002. Synonymies and reidentifications of North American fossil mammals. [J. Alroy/J. Alroy/M. Kouvari]
54070 E. D. Cope. 1895. The fossil Vertebrata from the fissure at Port Kennedy, Pa. Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia 47:447-450 [M. Carrano/M. Carrano]
53045 E. D. Cope. 1896. New and Little Known Mammalia from the Port Kennedy Bone Deposit. Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia 48:378-394 [J. Marcot/J. Marcot/J. Marcot]
64615 E. D. Cope. 1899. Vertebrate remains from Port Kennedy bone deposits. Journal of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia 11:193-286 [E. Vlachos/E. Vlachos]
1300 E. B. Daeschler. 1996. 83-96 [J. Alroy/J. Alroy]
14699 C. W. Gilmore. 1938. Fossil snakes of North America. Geological Society of America Special Paper (9)1-96 [J. Head/J. Head]
49178 G. H. Horn. 1876. Notes on some coleopterous remains from the bone cave at Port Kennedy, Penna. Transactions of the American Entomological Society 5:241-245 [M. Clapham/M. Clapham]
6221 B. Kurten and E. Anderson. 1980. Pleistocene mammals of North America 1-442 [J. Alroy/J. Alroy/M. Uhen]
2673 R. M. Nowak. 1979. North American Quaternary Canis. Monograph of the Museum of Natural History, University of Kansas 6:1-154 [J. Alroy/J. Alroy]
744 D. C. Parris and E. Daeschler. 1995. Pleistocene turtles of Port Kennedy Cave (late Irvingtonian), Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. Journal of Paleontology 69(3):563-568 [J. Alroy/M. Sommers/E. Vlachos]
5136ETE 848S. H. Scudder. 1890. The Tertiary Insects of North America. Report of the United States Geological Survey of the Territories XIII:1-734 [C. Labandeira/C. Labandeira/L. Edwards]
3103 K. Seymour. 1993. Size change in North American Quaternary jaguars. In R. A. Martin and A. D. Barnosky (eds.), Morphological change in Quaternary mammals of North America 343-372 [J. Alroy/J. Alroy/M. Uhen]
52058 R. H. Tedford, X. Wang, and B. E. Taylor. 2009. Phylogenetic Systematics of the North American Fossil Caninae (Carnivora: Canidae). Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 325:1-218 [J. Marcot/J. Marcot/G. Lloyd]