Madeline Plains (Pliocene of the United States)

Where: Lassen County, California (40.9° N, 120.5° W: paleocoordinates 41.1° N, 119.7° W)

• coordinate based on nearby landmark

When: Early/Lower Pliocene (5.3 - 3.6 Ma)

• six to eight feet below surface

Environment/lithology: terrestrial; sandstone

• fossiliferous medium to coarse, partially lithified lithic sandstone found 6 to 8 feet below modern surface. Overlain by light brown, massive silts containing at least 3 tuff beds

Size classes: macrofossils, mesofossils

Collection methods: found in trench generated during construction of pipeline

Primary reference: H. M. Wagner, C. B. Hanson, E. P. Gustafson, K. W. Gobalet, and D. P. Whistler. 1997. Biogeography of the Pliocene and Pleistocene vertebrate faunas of Northeastern California and their temporal significance to the development of the Modoc Plateau and Klamath Mountain Region. San Bernardino County Museum Association Quarterly 44(1):13-21 [P. Holroyd/P. Holroyd]more details

Purpose of describing collection: general faunal/floral analysis

PaleoDB collection 234659: authorized by Patricia Holroyd, entered by Patricia Holroyd on 27.04.2024

Creative Commons license: CC BY (attribution)

Taxonomic list

Show authors, comments, and common names
Actinopteri
 Cypriniformes - Catostomidae
Chasmistes sp.
Chasmistes sp. Jordan 1878 carp-like fish
 Cypriniformes - Cyprinidae
Acrocheilus sp., ? Acrocheilus "new sp.", Lavinia sp., Gila cf. coerulea, Ptychocheilus sp.
Acrocheilus sp. Agassiz 1855 carp-like fish
? Acrocheilus "new sp." Agassiz 1855 carp-like fish
Lavinia sp. Girard 1845 carp-like fish
Gila cf. coerulea Girard 1856 carp-like fish
Ptychocheilus sp. Agassiz 1855 carp-like fish
Mammalia
 Rodentia - Cricetidae
? Cricetidae indet.
? Cricetidae indet. Fischer von Waldheim 1817 rodent
both "mouse-sized" and "muskrat-sized"
Reptilia
 Squamata - Colubridae
Thamnophis sp.
Thamnophis sp. Fitzinger 1843 garter snake