PBDB Collection

Mission (Miocene of the United States)

Also known as SDSM V-5314; Thomas Fox Ranch; Joe Thin Elk Gravel Pits

Where: Mellette County, South Dakota (43.4° N, 100.6° W: paleocoordinates 43.9° N, 98.0° W)

• coordinate stated in text

• outcrop-level geographic resolution

When: Thin Elk Formation, Clarendonian (12.5 - 9.4 Ma)

• member-level stratigraphic resolution

Environment/lithology: "channel"; unlithified sandstone and carbonate

• "microfauna... from two different sedimentary latyers. One sample was derived from about one-half ton of unconsolidated sand near the base of the channel deposit. The second sample came from approximately one-half ton of sediment taken from a calcareous ledge-forming lens near the top of the deposit."

Size classes: macrofossils, mesofossils

Reposited in the SDSM

Collection methods: bulk, salvage, quarrying, chemical, sieve,

• large vertebrates collected from "residue" of sand and gravel screened during a quarrying operation (Macdonald 1960); small vertebrates collected by "washing and screening techniques [sand layer] or by treatment of fossil-bearing rocks with chemicals [calcareous lens]" (Holman 1973)

Primary reference: M. Green. 1971. Additions to the Mission vertebrate fauna, Lower Pliocene of South Dakota. Journal of Paleontology 45(3):486-490 [J. Alroy/J. Alroy/M. Carrano]more details

Purpose of describing collection: general faunal/floral analysis

PaleoDB collection 18268: authorized by John Alroy, entered by John Alroy on 05.08.1992, edited by Jonathan Marcot

Creative Commons license: CC BY (attribution)

Taxonomic list

• Green's list replaces that of Macdonald 1960; NISP values are based on latter, and exclude non-mammalian taxa; total is 947

•"Aelurodon cf. inflatus" NISP 1: specimen not mentioned at all by Wang et al. 1999

Show authors, comments, and common names

Amphibia
Salientia - Pelobatidae	Scaphiopus sp.³ Scaphiopus sp.³ Holbrook 1836 spadefoot toad
Salientia - Ranidae	Rana sp.³ Rana sp.³ Linnaeus 1758 frog
Salientia - Bufonidae	Bufo sp.³, Bufo pliocompactilis³ Bufo sp.³ Laurenti 1768 toad Bufo pliocompactilis³ Wilson 1968 toad
Reptilia
Squamata - Colubridae	Lampropeltis similis³ Lampropeltis similis³ Holman 1964 colubrid snake
Squamata - Scincidae	Eumeces sp.³ Eumeces sp.³ Wiegmann 1834 skink
Squamata - Anguidae	Anguidae indet.³ Anguidae indet.³ Gray 1825 squamates
Mammalia
Proboscidea - Gomphotheriidae	Gomphotherium sp. Gomphotherium sp. Burmeister 1837 gomphothere
Carnivora - Amphicyonidae	Ischyrocyon gidleyi Ischyrocyon gidleyi Matthew 1902 bear-dog
Carnivora - Canidae	Aelurodon taxoides, "Tomarctus euthos" = Paratomarctus euthos, Carpocyon robustus⁸, Leptocyon matthewi⁶ Aelurodon taxoides Hatcher 1894 bone-crushing dog see also Wang et al. 1999 "Tomarctus euthos" = Paratomarctus euthos McGrew 1935 bone-crushing dog Carpocyon robustus⁸ Green 1948 bone-crushing dog SDSM 6853 Leptocyon matthewi⁶ Tedford et al. 2009 canine
Perissodactyla - Equidae	Hypohippus sp., Pseudhipparion cf. gratum, Hippotherium sp., Protohippus sp.¹, Calippus placidus⁴ Hypohippus sp. Leidy 1858 anchitheriine horse Pseudhipparion cf. gratum Leidy 1869 hipparionine horse including 12 metapodials that could be Calippus Hippotherium sp. Kaup 1832 hipparionine horse "Neohipparion cf. occidentale or whitneyi": JA pers. obs. 13.7.96: data of Macdonald 1960 are ambiguous; dental measurements overlap completely with N. affine and "C. occidentale," and metapodial measurements overlap with those of Webb 1969 (Burge "Neohipparion," Minnechaduza "N. occidentale," type of "N. whitneyi"), Bernor et al. 1990 (Xmas-Kat "C. occidentale"), etc.; however, I believe that Hippotherium is present based on 1) low frequency of pli caballinids (should be common in true Neohipparion), and 2) suggestion that some or many pli caballins are multiple (should always be single in true Neohipparion); including metapodials Protohippus sp.¹ Leidy 1858 horse Calippus placidus⁴ Leidy 1869 horse pers. commun.: "A. cf. martini"; i.d. confirmed by JA 3.8.93
Perissodactyla - Rhinocerotidae	Teleoceras major⁷, Aphelops megalodus⁵ Teleoceras major⁷ Hatcher 1894 rhinoceros Aphelops megalodus⁵ Cope 1873 rhinoceros
Perissodactyla - Tapiridae	Tapirus sp. Tapirus sp. Brisson 1762 tapir
Artiodactyla - Merycoidodontidae	"Merychyus cf. novomexicanus" = Ustatochoerus medius novomexicanus⁷ "Merychyus cf. novomexicanus" = Ustatochoerus medius novomexicanus⁷ Frick 1929 oreodont
Artiodactyla - Tayassuidae	"Prosthennops cf. niobrarensis" = Colbertchoerus niobrarensis⁹ "Prosthennops cf. niobrarensis" = Colbertchoerus niobrarensis⁹ Colbert 1935 peccary
Artiodactyla - Camelidae	Protolabis heterodontus, Pliauchenia magnifontis, Aepycamelus sp.², Procamelus grandis Protolabis heterodontus Cope 1874 camel including type of "Procamelus foxi" of Macdonald 1960 Pliauchenia magnifontis Gregory 1939 camel Aepycamelus sp.² Macdonald 1956 camel "Paracamelus or Aepycamelus" Procamelus grandis Gregory 1939 camel
Artiodactyla - Antilocapridae	Cosoryx sp.¹ Cosoryx sp.¹ Leidy 1869 pronghorn
Theriamorpha - Soricidae	Soricidae indet. Soricidae indet. Fischer 1814 shrew SDSM 62270
Lagomorpha - Leporidae	Archaeolaginae indet.¹ Archaeolaginae indet.¹ rabbit SDSM 6863
Rodentia - Mylagaulidae	Mylagaulidae indet.¹ Mylagaulidae indet.¹ Cope 1881 rodent
Rodentia - Zapodidae	Schaubeumys sp.¹ Schaubeumys sp.¹ Wood 1935 jumping mouse SDSM 6862, 62269, 62276
Rodentia - Cricetidae	Cricetidae indet. Cricetidae indet. Fischer von Waldheim 1817 mouse
Rodentia - Sciuridae	Protospermophilus sp., Spermophilus sp.¹ Protospermophilus sp. Gazin 1930 squirrel SDSM 6865 Spermophilus sp.¹ Cuvier 1825 ground squirrel SDSM 62247
Rodentia - Castoridae	Eucastor sp. Eucastor sp. Allen 1877 beaver SDSM 6864
Rodentia - Heteromyidae	Perognathus cf. coquorum, Cupidinimus sp. Perognathus cf. coquorum Wood 1935 pocket mouse SDSM 62263-64 Cupidinimus sp. Wood 1935 rodent SDSM 6225-58, 62266-67, 62275

¹Alroy 2002; ²Harrison 1985; ³Holman 1973; ⁴Hulbert 1989; ⁵Prothero 2005; ⁶Tedford et al. 2009; ⁷Voorhies 1985; ⁸Wang et al. 1999; ⁹Wright 1983