Dark Canyon Cave (Pleistocene of the United States)

Where: Eddy County, New Mexico (32.3° N, 104.3° W: paleocoordinates 32.3° N, 104.3° W)

• coordinate based on nearby landmark

• small collection-level geographic resolution

When: Late/Upper Pleistocene (0.1 - 0.0 Ma)

• "Most of the bird and mammal bones were found at depths from 50 inches to 8 1/2 ft" underlying "a Basket-maker culture" found "to a depth of 36-38 inches"

• group of beds-level stratigraphic resolution

Environment/lithology: cave; lithology not reported

• none given

Size class: macrofossils

Preservation: bone collector

Reposited in the LACM

Collection methods: quarrying,

• discovered and collected "A few years ago" by "Wm. H. Balgemann of Carlsbad"

Primary reference: H. Howard. 1971. Quaternary avian remains from Dark Canyon Cave, New Mexico. The Condor 73(2):237-240 [J. Alroy/J. Alroy]more details

Purpose of describing collection: general faunal/floral analysis

PaleoDB collection 71670: authorized by John Alroy, entered by John Alroy on 04.05.2007

Creative Commons license: CC BY (attribution)

Taxonomic list

Show authors, comments, and common names
Mammalia
 Artiodactyla - Antilocapridae
Antilocapridae indet.
Antilocapridae indet. Gray 1866 pronghorn
"extinct" and "presumably Stockoceros conklingi"
 Perissodactyla - Equidae
Equidae indet.
Equidae indet. Gray 1821 horse
"horse teeth"
Aves
 Charadriiformes - Burhinidae
Burhinus sp.
Burhinus sp. Illiger 1811 thick-knee
two forms, one extinct
 Charadriiformes - Charadriidae
"Eupoda montana" = Charadrius montanus
"Eupoda montana" = Charadrius montanus Townsend 1837 mountain plover
 Falconiformes - Falconidae
Falco sparverius, Falco mexicanus, "Falco swarthi" = Falco (Hierofalco) swarthi, "Caracara prelutosa" = Caracara cheriway
Falco sparverius Linnaeus 1758 American kestrel
Falco mexicanus Schlegel 1850 Prairie falcon
"Falco swarthi" = Falco (Hierofalco) swarthi Miller 1927 falcon
"Caracara prelutosa" = Caracara cheriway Jacquin 1784 crested caracara
 Cuculiformes - Cuculidae
Geococcyx conklingi
Geococcyx conklingi Howard 1931 cuckoo
 Psittaciformes - Psittacidae
Psittacidae indet.
Psittacidae indet. Illiger 1811 parrot
 Columbiformes - Columbidae
Ectopistes migratorius, "Zenaidura macroura" = Zenaida macroura
Ectopistes migratorius Linnaeus 1758 passenger pigeon
"Zenaidura macroura" = Zenaida macroura Linnaeus 1758 mourning dove
 Strigiformes - Strigidae
Bubo virginianus, "Speotyto cunicularia" = Athene cunicularia, Asio ? flammeus
Bubo virginianus Gmelin 1788 great horned owl
"Speotyto cunicularia" = Athene cunicularia Molina 1782 burrowing owl
Asio ? flammeus Pontoppidan 1763 short-eared owl
 Strigiformes - Tytonidae
Tyto alba
Tyto alba Scopoli 1769 barn owl
 Podicipediformes - Podicipedidae
"Podiceps caspicus" = Podiceps nigricollis
"Podiceps caspicus" = Podiceps nigricollis Brehm 1831 black-necked grebe
 Passeriformes - Corvidae
Corvus corax
Corvus corax Linnaeus 1758 common raven
 Caprimulgiformes - Caprimulgidae
Phalaenoptilus nuttallii
Phalaenoptilus nuttallii Audubon 1844 common poorwill
 Anseriformes - Anatidae
Anas platyrhynchos, "Anas ? carolinensis" = Anas crecca carolinensis, Anas acuta, Anabernicula cf. oregonensis, ? Mergus sp., Aix sponsa, Aythya valisineria
Anas platyrhynchos Linnaeus 1758 mallard
"Anas ? carolinensis" = Anas crecca carolinensis Gmelin 1789 green-winged teal
Anas acuta Linnaeus 1758 northern pintail
Anabernicula cf. oregonensis Howard 1964 dabbling duck
? Mergus sp. Linnaeus 1758 merganser
Aix sponsa Linnaeus 1758 wood duck
Aythya valisineria Wilson 1814 canvasback
 Suliformes - Phalacrocoracidae
Phalacrocorax auritus
Phalacrocorax auritus Lesson 1831 double-crested cormorant
 Cathartiformes - Cathartidae
Coragyps occidentalis, "Gymnogyps amplus" = Gymnogyps californianus
Coragyps occidentalis Miller 1909 New World vulture
"Gymnogyps amplus" = Gymnogyps californianus Shaw 1797 condor
 Accipitriformes - Accipitridae
Aquila chrysaetos, Accipiter cooperii, Buteo nitidus, Buteo jamaicensis, Buteo lagopus, Neophrontops americanus
Aquila chrysaetos Linnaeus 1758 golden eagle
Accipiter cooperii Bonaparte 1828 Cooper's hawk
Buteo nitidus Latham 1790 gray-lined hawk
Buteo jamaicensis Gmelin 1788 red-tailed hawk
Buteo lagopus Pontoppidan 1763 rough-legged hawk
Neophrontops americanus Miller 1916 Old World vulture
Reptilia
 Galliformes - Phasianidae
Tympanuchus ? pallidicinctus, Meleagris ? gallopavo
Tympanuchus ? pallidicinctus Ridgway 1873 lesser prairie chicken
Meleagris ? gallopavo Linnaeus 1758 wild turkey
 Galliformes - Odontophoridae
Odontophoridae indet.
Odontophoridae indet. Gould 1844 New World quail
"Quail, 2 species?"
 Galliformes - Galloidae
Tetraonidae indet.
Tetraonidae indet. Linnaeus 1758 grouse
"Grouse, 2 species?"