Bug Creek Anthills (Cretaceous of the United States)

Also known as Bug Creek, BCA, OMNH V1173

Where: McCone County County, Montana (47.8° N, 106.1° W: paleocoordinates 54.4° N, 79.0° W)

• coordinate based on nearby landmark

• outcrop-level geographic resolution

When: Hell Creek Formation, Late/Upper Maastrichtian (70.6 - 66.0 Ma)

• upper 1/3 of formation, 80 ft below coal bed

• group of beds-level stratigraphic resolution

Environment/lithology: coarse channel fill; sandstone

• 'Coastal plain deposits'
• "a cross-bedded stram channel"

Size classes: macrofossils, mesofossils

Collected by Univ. of Minnesota in 1962-1964

Collection methods: surface (float), anthill,

Primary reference: R. Estes. 1965. A new fossil salamander from Montana and Wyoming. Copeia 1965(1):90-95 [E. Fara/E. Fara/J. Alroy]more details

Purpose of describing collection: taxonomic analysis

PaleoDB collection 13142: authorized by Emmanuel Fara, entered by Emmanuel Fara on 23.01.2002, edited by Roger Benson, Philip Mannion, Matthew Carrano and John Alroy

Creative Commons license: CC BY (attribution)

Taxonomic list

• mammal fauna said to be present
Chondrichthyes
 Hybodontiformes - Lonchidiidae
Lonchidion selachos4 Estes 1964 elasmobranch
 Rajiformes - Rhinobatidae
Myledaphus bipartitus4 Cope 1876 guitarfish
Osteichthyes
 Acipenseriformes - Acipenseridae
Acipenser eruciferus4 Cope 1876 sturgeon
 Acipenseriformes - Polyodontidae
Paleopsephurus wilsoni4 MacAlpin 1947 paddlefish
Amphibia
 Salientia -
Scotiophryne pustulosa n. gen. n. sp.4 Estes 1969 frog
MCZ 3623-3626; AMNH 26422; UALVP 40155-60
 Salientia - Palaeobatrachidae
Palaeobatrachus occidentalis9 Estes and Sanchíz 1982 frog
UALVP 40163
 Salientia - Discoglossidae
Discoglossidae indet.4 Günther 1859 painted frog
cf. Barbourula sp.4 Taylor and Noble 1924 jungle toad
 Salientia - Pelobatidae
cf. Eopelobates sp.9 Parker 1929 spadefoot toad
 Proteida - Batrachosauroididae
Opisthotriton kayi4, "Prodesmodon copei" = Prodesmodon copei4, "Cuttysarkus mcnallyi" = Prodesmodon copei4
Opisthotriton kayi4 Auffenberg 1961 salamander
"Prodesmodon copei" = Prodesmodon copei4 Estes 1964 salamander
"Cuttysarkus mcnallyi" = Prodesmodon copei4 Estes 1964 salamander
 Caudata - Urodela
Habrosaurus dilatus4 Gilmore 1928 siren
Scapherpeton tectum4 Cope 1876 salamander
Lisserpeton bairdi n. gen. n. sp. Estes 1965 salamander
some specimens were uncatalogued
Piceoerpeton naylori n. sp.10 Gardner 2012 salamander
UA 14918 (atlas)
Proamphiuma cretacea4 Estes 1969 salamander
 Temnospondyli - Albanerpetontidae
Albanerpetontidae indet.8 Fox and Naylor 1982 tetrapod
Albanerpeton nexuosus8 Estes 1981 tetrapod
Reptilia
 Testudinata -
Compsemys victa4 Leidy 1856 turtle
 Testudinata - Baenidae
Baenidae "indet. 2"4 Cope 1882 turtle
"undescribed genus and species"
Eubaena cephalica5 Hay 1904 turtle
MCZ 3530 (both parietals), AMNH 4948 (skull), MCZ 3510, 3511, 3512, 3519 (maxillae), MCZ 3525 (right parietal)
Palatobaena bairdi5 Gaffney 1972 turtle
MCZ 3515 (right maxilla), and a specimen referred by Lyson & Joyce (2009): AMNH 8277 (complete lower jaws)
 Testudines - Adocidae
Adocus sp.4 Cope 1868 turtle
 Testudines - Emydidae
? Emydinae indet.4 Rafinesque 1815 turtle
 Testudines - Trionychidae
Trionychidae indet.1 Gray 1825 softshell turtle
 Squamata - Boidae
? Erycinae indet.4 Bonaparte 1825 sand boa
 Squamata -
Coniophis precedens4 Marsh 1892 snake
 Squamata - Xantusiidae
Xantusiidae indet.7 Baird 1858 night lizard
UALVP 29840 (gen. et sp. nov.)
 Squamata - Cordylidae
? Cordylidae "indet. B"7 Gray 1837 spinytail lizard
UALVP 29722 (dentary)
 Squamata -
Paraderma bogerti4 Estes 1964 squamates
Parasaniwa wyomingensis4 Gilmore 1928 squamates
plus Gao & Fox (1996) specimens: UALVP 33357-33360 (maxilla), 33361 and several unnumbered (dentaries), 33362, 33363 (pterygoids), 33364, 33365 (parietals)
 Squamata - Varanidae
Varanidae indet.7 Hardwicke and Gray 1824 monitor lizard
MCZ 3665 (large vertebra)
 Squamata -
Colpodontosaurus cracens4 Estes 1964 squamates
Gao & Fox (1996): UALVP 29785-29786
 Squamata - Anguidae
"Pancelosaurus piger" = Odaxosaurus piger4
"Pancelosaurus piger" = Odaxosaurus piger4 Gilmore 1928 squamates
 Squamata - Xenosauridae
Exostinus lancensis4 Gilmore 1928 squamates
plus specimen reported by Gao & Fox (1996), UALVP 29919 (frontal)
 Squamata - Globauridae
Contogenys sloani n. gen. n. sp.2
Contogenys sloani n. gen. n. sp.2 Estes 1969 squamates
MCZ 3682-3684; OMNH 59221; UALVP 29839
 Squamata - Chamopsiidae
Meniscognathus altmani7 Estes 1964 squamates
UALVP 29775, 29779 (maxilla), and 29776, 29831 (dentaries)
Haptosphenus placodon4 Estes 1964 squamates
Peneteius aquilonius4 Estes 1969 squamates
Peneteius aquilonius n. gen. n. sp.3 Estes 1969 squamates
MCZ 3612 (holotype dentary)
Leptochamops denticulatus4 Gilmore 1928 squamates
Chamops segnis4 Marsh 1892 squamates
Additional specimens from Gao & Fox (1996): UALVP 29724-29726, 29730, 29737-29738 (maxilla), and 29721, 29723, 29815 (dentaries)
 Crocodylia - Alligatoridae
Brachychampsa montana4 Gilmore 1911 crocodilian
 Loricata -
"Leidyosuchus sternbergi" = Borealosuchus sternbergii4
"Leidyosuchus sternbergi" = Borealosuchus sternbergii4 Gilmore 1910 crocodilian
 Ornithischia - Pachycephalosauridae
? Pachycephalosauridae indet.4 Sternberg 1945 ornithischian
 Ornithischia - Ceratopsidae
Triceratops sp.4 Marsh 1889 ceratopsid
 Ornithischia -
Orodromeus makelai6 Horner and Weishampel 1988 ornithopod
 Ornithischia - Hadrosauridae
"Anatosaurus sp." = Edmontosaurus4
"Anatosaurus sp." = Edmontosaurus4 Lambe 1917 hadrosaurine
 Theropoda -
 Theropoda - Coeluridae
? Coeluridae indet.4 Marsh 1881 coelurid
 Theropoda - Dromaeosauridae
? Dromaeosauridae indet.4 Colbert and Russell 1969 maniraptoran
 Theropoda -
Paronychodon lacustris4 Cope 1876 maniraptoran
 Choristodera -
Champsosaurus sp.4 Cope 1876 choristodere
Actinopteri
 Lepisosteiformes - Lepisosteidae
Lepisosteus occidentalis4 Leidy 1856 gar
 Amiiformes - Amiidae
Amia sp.4 Linnaeus 1766 bowfin
not sure. perhaps Protamia
Amia fragosa4 Jordan 1927 bowfin
 Amiiformes - Palaeolabridae
Palaeolabrus montanensis4 Estes 1969 bowfin
 Teleostei -
Teleostei indet.4
numerous vertebrae and fragments
 Acanthomorphata - Sciaenidae
Platacodon nanus4 Marsh 1889
 Elopiformes - Elopidae
Elopidae indet.4 Bonaparte 1846
 Elopiformes - Phyllodontidae
cf. Paralbula casei4 Estes 1969
 Albuliformes - Albulidae
Coriops amnicolus4 Estes 1969 bonefish
 Aspidorhynchiformes - Aspidorhynchidae