Virgin Valley (Miocene of the United States)

Also known as UCMP 1065, 1090, 1095
DUPLICATE REF 3234 or 3235

Where: Humboldt County, Nevada (41.1° N, 117.8° W)

• Paleocoordinates: 45.1° N, 112.3° W (Wright 2013)

• coordinate based on political unit

• small collection-level geographic resolution

When: Virgin Valley Formation, Barstovian (16.3 - 12.5 Ma)

• spans a rhyolite vent dated at 15.72 +/- 0.07 Ma on biotite and overlies a rhyolite with a youngest date of 16.11 +/- 0.03 on sanidine (both SLCF 40Ar/39Ar)

Environment/lithology: terrestrial

Reposited in the UCMP

Primary reference: R. A. Stirton. 1940. The Nevada Miocene and Pliocene mammalian faunas as faunal units. Proceedings of the Sixth Pacific Science Congress 2:627-640 [J. Alroy/J. Alroy/M. Uhen]more details

Purpose of describing collection: taxonomic analysis

PaleoDB collection 19103: authorized by John Alroy, entered by John Alroy on 18.02.1993, edited by Jonathan Marcot

Creative Commons license: CC0 (CC0)

Taxonomic list

• Perkins et al. 1998 indicate that the Virgin Valley section is bracketed by Ar/Ar dates of 16.28 +/- 0.02 Ma (rhyolite at base) and 15.18 +/- 0.03 Ma (ash near top)
Show authors, comments, and common names
Mammalia
 Carnivora - Procyonidae
Bassariscus antiquus
Bassariscus antiquus Matthew and Cook 1909 ringtail
from UCMP 1095: see Hall 1927 DUPLICATE REF 3234 or 3235
 Carnivora - Canidae
"Cynodesmus kelloggi n. sp." = Paracynarctus kelloggi, "Tomarctus optatus" = Protomarctus optatus
"Cynodesmus kelloggi n. sp." = Paracynarctus kelloggi Merriam 1911 bone-crushing dog
UCMP 1065 DUPLICATE REF 3234 or 3235
"Tomarctus optatus" = Protomarctus optatus Matthew 1924 bone-crushing dog
NOT confirmed by Wang et al. 1999! DUPLICATE REF 3234 or 3235
 Perissodactyla - Equidae
Merychippus brevidontus, Merychippus cf. californicus, Hypohippus cf. osborni, "Parahippus avus" = Desmatippus avus
Merychippus brevidontus Bode 1935 horse
first mentioned by Bode 1934 DUPLICATE REF 3234 or 3235
Merychippus cf. californicus Merriam 1915 horse
assigned to "M. cf. seversus" by Downs 1961, but see Hulbert and MacFadden 1991 DUPLICATE REF 3234 or 3235
Hypohippus cf. osborni Gidley 1907 anchitheriine horse
DUPLICATE REF 3234 or 3235
"Parahippus avus" = Desmatippus avus Marsh 1874 anchitheriine horse
DUPLICATE REF 3234 or 3235
 Perissodactyla - Chalicotheriidae
Moropus merriami2
Moropus merriami2 Holland and Peterson 1913 chalicothere
UCMP 1065
 Perissodactyla - Rhinocerotidae
Aphelops megalodus5, Peraceras profectum4, Teleoceras medicornutum5
Aphelops megalodus5 Cope 1873 rhinoceros
Peraceras profectum4 Matthew 1899 rhinoceros
pers. comm.: "Aphelops"
Teleoceras medicornutum5 Osborn 1904 rhinoceros
 Artiodactyla - Tayassuidae
Hesperhys sp.
Hesperhys sp. Douglass 1903 peccary
DUPLICATE REF 3234 or 3235
 Artiodactyla - Antilocapridae
Paracosoryx sp.1
Paracosoryx sp.1 Frick 1937 pronghorn
 Artiodactyla - Moschidae
"Blastomeryx mollis n. sp." = Problastomeryx primus
"Blastomeryx mollis n. sp." = Problastomeryx primus Matthew 1908 musk deer
see Merriam 1911, Frick 1937 DUPLICATE REF 3234 or 3235
 Artiodactyla - Dromomerycidae
"Dromomerycinae indet." = Dromomerycidae1, Cranioceratini indet.1
"Dromomerycinae indet." = Dromomerycidae1 Frick 1937 ruminant
Cranioceratini indet.1 Frick 1937 ruminant
 Artiodactyla - Merycoidodontidae
Ticholeptus zygomaticus1
Ticholeptus zygomaticus1 Cope 1878 oreodont
 Lagomorpha - Leporidae
Hypolagus parviplicatus n. sp.3
Hypolagus parviplicatus n. sp.3 Dawson 1958 rabbit
from UCMP 1065; "H. vetus" of Dice 1917
 Lagomorpha - Ochotonidae
Oreolagus nevadensis n. sp.
Oreolagus nevadensis n. sp. Kellogg 1910 pika
see Dice 1917 DUPLICATE REF 3234 or 3235
 Rodentia - Aplodontidae
Liodontia alexandrae n. sp.
Liodontia alexandrae n. sp. Furlong 1910 mountain beaver
from UCMP 1090 also at UCMP 1095: see Gazin 1932 DUPLICATE REF 3234 or 3235
 Rodentia - Castoridae
Monosaulax skinneri1
Monosaulax skinneri1 Stout 1999 beaver
 Rodentia - Mylagaulidae
"Mylagaulus pristinus" = Alphagaulus pristinus, Hesperogaulus sp.1
"Mylagaulus pristinus" = Alphagaulus pristinus Douglass 1903 rodent
DUPLICATE REF 3234 or 3235
Hesperogaulus sp.1 Korth 1999 rodent
 Proboscidea - Mammutidae
"Miomastodon merriami n. sp." = Zygolophodon proavus6
"Miomastodon merriami n. sp." = Zygolophodon proavus6 Cope 1873 mastodon
1Alroy 2002; 2Coombs 2004; 3Dawson 1958; 4Prothero 1989; 5Prothero 2005; 6Stock 1936