Dry Cave (Pleistocene of the United States)

Also known as UTEP Locality 1, UTEP Locality 5, UTEP Locality 26

Where: Eddy County, New Mexico (32.4° N, 104.5° W: paleocoordinates 32.4° N, 104.5° W)

• coordinate based on nearby landmark

• outcrop-level geographic resolution

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

• "mid-Wisconsin... sediments introduced through fissures; stratigraphy was not apparent": radiocarbon dates on "bone scrap" include 33,590 +/- 1550 (Loc. 26), 29,290 +/- 1060 (Loc. 1), and 25,160 +/- 1730 (Loc. 5)

• group of beds-level stratigraphic resolution

Environment/lithology: fissure fill; lithology not reported

• localities 1 and 26 are "vertical fissures" whereas "Locality-5 deposits were water-laid, but shallow"
• none given

Size classes: macrofossils, mesofossils

Preservation: bone collector

Collected in 1966 - 1984

Collection methods: bulk, surface (float), sieve,

• "Large or fragile specimens were handpicked... Other specimens were recovered by washing the fossiliferous matrix through mesh screens (1.8-mm mesh, with many samples through 0.5-mm mesh)... Over 5000 items are catalogued"

Primary reference: A. H. Harris. 1987. Reconstruction of mid Wisconsinan environments in southern New Mexico. National Geographic Research 3(2):142-151 [J. Alroy/J. Alroy]more details

Purpose of describing collection: paleoecologic analysis

PaleoDB collection 76059: authorized by John Alroy, entered by John Alroy on 09.11.2007

Creative Commons license: CC BY (attribution)

Taxonomic list

Show authors, comments, and common names
unclassified
  -
? Cophosaurus texanus
Gnathostomata
  -
Osteichthyes indet.
Osteichthyes indet. bony fish
"bony fishes"
Reptilia
 Testudines - Testudinidae
"Gopherus agassizi" = Gopherus agassizii, Geochelone wilsoni
"Gopherus agassizi" = Gopherus agassizii Cooper 1863 Mojave desert tortoise
Geochelone wilsoni Milstead 1956 turtle
 Squamata - Iguanidae
Phrynosoma cornutum, Phrynosoma douglassi, Phrynosoma modestum, Crotaphytus collaris
Phrynosoma cornutum horned lizard
Phrynosoma douglassi horned lizard
Phrynosoma modestum Girard 1852 Roundtail horned lizard
Crotaphytus collaris Say 1823 Collared lizard
 Squamata - Crotalidae
Crotalus sp.
Crotalus sp. Linnaeus 1758 rattlesnake
 Galliformes - Odontophoridae
cf. Cyrtonyx montezumae, cf. Colinus virginianus
cf. Cyrtonyx montezumae Vigors 1830 Montezuma quail
cf. Colinus virginianus Linnaeus 1758 northern bobwhite
 Galliformes - Phasianidae
Meleagris crassipes
Meleagris crassipes Miller 1940 turkey
Aves
 Cathartiformes - Cathartidae
Breagyps clarki, Coragyps occidentalis
Breagyps clarki Miller 1910 New World vulture
Coragyps occidentalis Miller 1909 New World vulture
 Passeriformes - Corvidae
Aphelocoma coerulescens, Corvus neomexicanus, Corvus corax, ? Cyanocitta sp.
Aphelocoma coerulescens Bosc 1795 Florida scrub jay
Corvus corax Linnaeus 1758 common raven
? Cyanocitta sp. Strickland 1845 jay
 Gruiformes - Rallidae
Fulica americana
Fulica americana Gmelin 1789 American coot
 Strigiformes - Strigidae
cf. Otus sp., Bubo virginianus
cf. Otus sp. Pennant 1769 scops owl
Bubo virginianus Gmelin 1788 great horned owl
 Piciformes - Picidae
Picidae indet., Colaptes auratus
Picidae indet. Vigors 1825 woodpecker
"small"
Colaptes auratus Linnaeus 1758 northern flicker
 Columbiformes - Columbidae
Zenaida macroura
Zenaida macroura Linnaeus 1758 mourning dove
 Cuculiformes - Cuculidae
Geococcyx californianus
Geococcyx californianus Lesson 1829 Greater roadrunner
"Geococcyx californianus californianus"
 Anseriformes - Anatidae
"Anas ? americanus" = Mareca americana
"Anas ? americanus" = Mareca americana Gmelin 1789 American wigeon
 Falconiformes - Falconidae
Falco ? peregrinus
Falco ? peregrinus Tunstall 1771 Peregrine falcon
 Accipitriformes - Accipitridae
Aquila chrysaetos, Accipiter cf. striatus
Aquila chrysaetos Linnaeus 1758 golden eagle
Accipiter cf. striatus Vieillot 1897 sharp-shinned hawk
Mammalia
 Soricomorpha - Soricidae
Sorex sp.
Sorex sp. Linnaeus 1758 long-tailed shrew
 Carnivora - Ursidae
Ursus americanus
Ursus americanus Pallas 1780 black bear
 Carnivora - Mustelidae
"Mustela cf. frenata" = Neogale frenata, cf. Taxidea taxus
"Mustela cf. frenata" = Neogale frenata Lichtenstein 1831 long-tailed weasel
cf. Taxidea taxus Schreber 1778 American badger
 Carnivora - Mephitidae
Spilogale sp.
Spilogale sp. Gray 1865 skunk
 Carnivora - Felidae
Panthera onca, "Felis concolor" = Puma concolor, Lynx rufus
Panthera onca Linnaeus 1758 jaguar
"Felis concolor" = Puma concolor Linnaeus 1771 puma
Lynx rufus Schreber 1777 bobcat
 Carnivora - Canidae
Canis latrans, Urocyon cinereoargenteus, "Canis dirus" = Aenocyon dirus, Vulpes cf. velox
Canis latrans Say 1823 coyote
Urocyon cinereoargenteus Schreber 1775 gray fox
"Canis dirus" = Aenocyon dirus Leidy 1858 dire wolf
Vulpes cf. velox Say 1823 swift fox
 Perissodactyla - Equidae
Equus sp., "Equus occidentalis" = Equus mexicanus
Equus sp. Linnaeus 1758 horse
"smaller"
"Equus occidentalis" = Equus mexicanus Hibbard 1955 horse
 Perissodactyla - Tapiridae
Tapirus sp.
Tapirus sp. Brisson 1762 tapir
 Artiodactyla - Tayassuidae
cf. Platygonus sp.
cf. Platygonus sp. Leconte 1848 peccary
 Artiodactyla - Antilocapridae
Antilocapra americana, Capromeryx sp.
Antilocapra americana Ord 1815 pronghorn
Capromeryx sp. Matthew 1902 pronghorn
 Artiodactyla - Camelidae
Camelops cf. hesternus, Hemiauchenia sp.
Camelops cf. hesternus Leidy 1873 camel
Hemiauchenia sp. Gervais and Ameghino 1880 camel
 Lagomorpha - Leporidae
Aztlanolagus agilis, "Sylvilagus nuttalli" = Sylvilagus nuttallii, Sylvilagus audubonii, Lepus californicus
Aztlanolagus agilis Russell and Harris 1986 rabbit
"Sylvilagus nuttalli" = Sylvilagus nuttallii Bachman 1837 mountain cottontail
Sylvilagus audubonii Baird 1858 desert cottontail
Lepus californicus Gray 1837 black-tailed jackrabbit
 Rodentia - Erethizontidae
cf. Erethizon dorsatum
cf. Erethizon dorsatum Linnaeus 1758 North American porcupine
 Rodentia - Sciuridae
Spermophilus (Ictidomys) sp., "Tamias (Neotamias) sp." = Neotamias, Cynomys sp., Ammospermophilus sp.
Spermophilus (Ictidomys) sp. Cuvier 1825 ground squirrel
"Tamias (Neotamias) sp." = Neotamias Howell 1929 chipmunk
Cynomys sp. Rafinesque 1817 prairie dog
Ammospermophilus sp. Merriam 1892 antelope squirrel
 Rodentia - Geomyidae
Pappogeomys sp., Thomomys sp.
Pappogeomys sp. Merriam 1895 pocket gopher
Thomomys sp. Wied-Neuwied 1839 pocket gopher
 Rodentia - Heteromyidae
Dipodomys sp., Perognathus (Perognathus) sp., Perognathus (Chaetodipus) sp.
Dipodomys sp. Gray 1841 kangaroo rat
"larger" and "smaller"
Perognathus (Perognathus) sp. Maximillian 1839 pocket mouse
Perognathus (Chaetodipus) sp. Maximillian 1839 pocket mouse
 Rodentia - Cricetidae
"Pitymys ochrogaster" = Microtus ochrogaster, Peromyscus boylii, Neotoma findleyi, Neotoma albigula, Neotoma pygmaea, Neotoma micropus, Sigmodon hispidus
"Pitymys ochrogaster" = Microtus ochrogaster Wagner 1842 prairie vole
Peromyscus boylii Baird 1855 brush mouse
Neotoma findleyi Harris 1984 pack rat
Neotoma albigula Hartley 1894 white-throated woodrat
Neotoma pygmaea Harris 1984 pack rat
Neotoma micropus Baird 1855 southern plains woodrat
Sigmodon hispidus Say and Ord 1825 hispid cotton rat
 Megatherioidea - Nothrotheriidae
"Nothrotheriops shastensis" = Nothrotherium shastense
"Nothrotheriops shastensis" = Nothrotherium shastense Sinclair 1905 Shasta ground sloth
 Chiroptera - Molossidae
Tadarida macrotis, Tadarida brasiliensis
Tadarida macrotis free-tailed bat
Tadarida brasiliensis Geoffroy 1824 Mexican free-tailed bat
 Chiroptera - Vespertilionidae
Antrozous pallidus, Myotis velifer, Plecotus sp.
Antrozous pallidus Le Conte 1856 pallid bat
Myotis velifer Allen 1890 cave myotis
Plecotus sp. Geoffroy 1818 vesper bat
Amphibia
 Salientia -
Anura indet.