Upper Meniscotherium (Eocene of the United States)

Also known as UCMP V71238; Palatobaena gaffneyi type locality

Where: Sweetwater County, Wyoming (41.7° N, 109.0° W: paleocoordinates 46.6° N, 92.6° W)

• coordinate based on political unit

When: Wa7 mammal zone, Main Body Member (Wasatch Formation), Wasatchian (55.8 - 50.3 Ma)

• Main body of Wasatch Formation

Environment/lithology: fluvial; massive, lag sandstone

• The Upper Meniscotherium locality corresponds

•to the basal lag deposit in a sandstone unit with clay-pebble lenses

•and unionid clams that immediately overlies and cuts into the

•mudstone of V71237 (UCMP locality records; also see Williamson

•2001). Strait et al. 2016: "massive, moderately-indurated sandstone unit that immediately overlies the mudstone of V71237. In V71238 fossils are found as lag in apprximately 10 cm at the base of this sandstone unit and appear to represent a direct reworking of the underlying mudstone unit."

Size classes: macrofossils, mesofossils, microfossils

Collected in 1972 onward; reposited in the UCM, UCMP

Collection methods: surface (float), surface (in situ), sieve

• collected repeatedly by UCMP and UCM crews

Primary reference: J. D. Archibald and J. H. Hutchison. 1979. Revision of the genus Palatobaena (Testudines, Baenidae), with the description of a new species. Postilla 177:1-19 [P. Mannion/P. Mannion/P. Holroyd]more details

Purpose of describing collection: taxonomic analysis

PaleoDB collection 118482: authorized by Philip Mannion, entered by Philip Mannion on 14.10.2011, edited by Patricia Holroyd

Creative Commons license: CC BY (attribution)

Taxonomic list

Bivalvia
 Unionida - Unionidae
Unionidae indeterminate1 freshwater mussel
"unionid clams"
Mammalia
 Multituberculata - Neoplagiaulacidae
Parectypodus sp.2 Jepsen 1930 multituberculate
Ectypodus sp.2 Matthew and Granger 1921 multituberculate
 Theriamorpha - Leptictidae
Prodiacodon sp.2 Matthew 1929 eutherian
Palaeictops sp.2 Matthew 1899 eutherian
 Rodentia - Ischyromyidae
Microparamys hunterae2 Ivy 1990 rodent
Lophiparamys murinus2 Matthew 1918 rodent
Paramys copei2 Loomis 1907 rodent
Paramys taurus2 Korth 1984 rodent
 Rodentia - Cylindrodontidae
Tuscahomys ctenodactylops2 Korth 1984 rodent
 Primates - Microsyopidae
"Haplomylus speirianus" = Microsyops speirianus2
"Haplomylus speirianus" = Microsyops speirianus2 Cope 1880 primate
 Primates - Notharctidae
Cantius mckennai2 Gingerich and Simons 1977 primate
Copelemur sp.2 Gingerich and Simons 1977 primate
 Primates - Omomyidae
Tetonoides pearcei2 Gazin 1962 tarsier
 Theriamorpha - Nyctitheriidae
Leptacodon sp.2 Matthew and Granger 1921 placental
Wyonycteris sp.2 Gingerich 1987 placental
 Perissodactyla -
Cardiolophus semihians2 Cope 1882 odd-toed ungulate
Homogalax protapirinus2 Wortman 1896 odd-toed ungulate
 Perissodactyla - Equidae
Arenahippus pernix2 Marsh 1876 horse
 Theriamorpha - Phenacodontidae
 Artiodactyla - Diacodexeidae
Bunophorus robustus2 Sinclair 1914 even-toed ungulate
 Creodonta -
Limnocyoninae indet.2 Wortman 1902 creodont
 Carnivora - Miacidae
Miacidae indet.2 Cope 1880 carnivoran
 Condylarthra - Hyopsodontidae
Hyopsodus paulus2 Leidy 1870 condylarth
 Macroscelidea - Adapisoricidae
Adapisoricidae indet.2 Schlosser 1887 elephant shrew
 Macroscelidea - Apheliscidae
Apheliscus sp.2 Cope 1875 elephant shrew
 Proteutheria - Palaeoryctidae
Aceroryctes dulcis1 Rankin and Holroyd 2014 eutherian
 Cimolesta - Apatemyidae
Apatemys sp.2 Marsh 1872 eutherian
 Cimolesta - Pantolestidae
Palaeosinopa sp.2 Matthew 1901 eutherian
 Cimolesta - Pentacodontidae
Amaramnis gregoryi2 Gazin 1962 eutherian
 Cimolesta - Coryphodontidae
Coryphodon sp.2 Owen 1845 pantodont
 Cimolesta - Esthonychidae
Esthonyx sp.2 Cope 1874 tillodont
 Theriamorpha - Peradectidae
Mimoperadectes sp.2 Bown and Rose 1979 marsupial
Reptilia
 Testudinata - Baenidae
Palatobaena gaffneyi n. sp. Archibald and Hutchison 1979 turtle
UCMP 114529 - type (nearly complete skull lacking right orbital region, sutures not co-ossified, slightly distorted)
 Testudines -
Planetochelys sp.2 Weems 1988 turtle
 Testudines - Kinosternidae
"Kinosternidae indet." = Kinosternoidea2
"Kinosternidae indet." = Kinosternoidea2 Hay 1892 mud turtle
 Testudines -
"Echmatemys testudinea" = Notomorpha testudinea2
"Echmatemys testudinea" = Notomorpha testudinea2 Cope 1872 turtle
 Squamata -
Iguania indet.2 squamates
Anguimorpha indet.2 squamates
 Crocodylia - Alligatoridae
cf. Allognathosuchus sp.2 Mook 1921 crocodilian
Aves
 Neornithes -
Anseriformes indet.2 Wagler 1831 waterfowl
Actinopteri
 Lepisosteiformes - Lepisosteidae
cf. Lepisosteus sp.2 Agassiz 1843 gar
 Amiiformes - Amiidae
Amiidae indet.2 Huxley 1861 bowfin