Mene de Inciarte Tar Seep (Pleistocene of Venezuela)

Also known as Pozo; Inciarte localidad 185; Inciarte localidad 198.

Where: Zulia, Venezuela (10.8° N, 72.2° W: paleocoordinates 10.8° N, 72.2° W)

• coordinate stated in text

• outcrop-level geographic resolution

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

• Two geochemically defensible accelerator-mass spectrometer (AMS) radiocarbon (14C) dates exist for the vertebrate fauna from Mene de Inciarte, namely 25,500 ± 600 14C yr BP (28,456–30,878 cal yr BP) and 27,980 ± 370 14C yr BP (31,165–32,843 cal yr BP) for different collagenous fractions of a single specimen of G. clavipes (Jull et al., 2004). Three older and less precise AMS 14C dates (from 41,000 ± 1300 to 46,900 ± 2600 14C yr BP, or 42,440–46,776 to 45,655–[50,000] cal yr BP) were based on non-collagenous fractions of a single specimen of H. occidentalis, and thus are likely to be contaminated with old (“dead”) carbon from the asphalt.

• group of beds-level stratigraphic resolution

Environment/lithology: tar; unlithified, sandy tar

• the "middle level [yielding most of the fossils] is composed of 80% tar and 20% sand" (Rincon et al. 2008)

Size classes: macrofossils, mesofossils

Collection methods: bulk, chemical,

• Specimens are curated at the Museo de Biología, La Universidad del Zulia, Maracaibo, Venezuela

Primary reference: N. J. Czaplewski, A. D. Rincón, and G. S. Morgan. 2005. Fossil bat (Mammalia: Chiroptera) remains from Inciarte tar pit, Sierra de Perijá, Venezuela. Caribbean Journal of Science 41(4):768-781 [C. Bell/C. Bell]more details

Purpose of describing collection: taxonomic analysis

PaleoDB collection 63515: authorized by Chris Bell, entered by Chris Bell on 15.08.2006, edited by John Alroy, Matthew Clapham, Juan Carrillo, Grace Varnham and Owen Alfaro

Creative Commons license: CC BY (attribution)

Taxonomic list

Mammalia
 Didelphimorphia - Didelphidae
Didelphis sp.4 Linnaeus 1758 large American opossum
 Placentalia -
Primates indet.4 Linnaeus 1758 primate
 Rodentia - Cricetidae
Holochilus sciureus5 Wagner 1842 marsh rat
Calomys hummelinki5 vesper mouse
Sigmodon hispidus5 Say and Ord 1825 hispid cotton rat
 Rodentia - Caviidae
Neochoerus sp.5 Hay 1926 caviomorph
 Rodentia - Echimyidae
Echimys sp.5 Cuvier 1809 spiny tree-rat
Dactylomyinae indet.5 Tate 1935 spiny rat
said to be new
 Rodentia -
 Rodentia - Muridae
Heteromys anomalus5 forest spiny pocket mouse
 Artiodactyla - Cervidae
Odocoileus sp.4 Rafinesque 1832 New World deer
Mazama sp.4 Rafinesque 1817 brocket deer
 Artiodactyla - Camelidae
Palaeolama (Palaeolama) sp.4 Churcher 1965 camel
"Paleolama (Paleolama)"
 Perissodactyla - Equidae
Equus (Amerhippus) santaeelenae4 Spillmann 1938 horse
 Carnivora - Canidae
Canidae indet.2 Fischer de Waldheim 1817 canid
Caninae indet.7 Gill 1872 canine
IVICP 3533, right dP3. IVICP 3534, rightdP4. IVICP 3587 right dp4. IVICP 3540, left m2.
"Canis dirus" = Aenocyon dirus2 Leidy 1858 dire wolf
Urocyon cinereoargenteus5 Schreber 1775 gray fox
IVICP 3531, left M1; IVICP 3528, a nearly complete right hemimandible; IVICP 3530, left c; IVICP 3529, a fragment of right hemimandible
Urocyon cf. cinereoargenteus2 Schreber 1775 gray fox
Protocyon sp.2 Giebel 1855 canine
Protocyon troglodytes2 Lund 1938 canine
MBLUZ P 2221; 2337; 2393; 2541; 2579; 2626; 3896; 3953; 4351; 4498; 4726; 4727
Protocyon aff. troglodytes7 Lund 1938 canine
IVICP 3521, left M1
 Carnivora - Felidae
Smilodon populator6 Lund 1842 saber-toothed cat
 Megatherioidea - Megatheriidae
Eremotherium sp.4 Spillmann 1948 edentate
 Cingulata - Dasypodidae
Propraopus sulcatus5 Lund 1838 armadillo
"Dasypus sabanicola" = Dasypus (Dasypus) sabanicola5 Mondolfi 1967 Llanos long-nosed armadillo
 Cingulata - Pampatheriidae
Pampatherium humboldtii5 Lund 1839 edentate
 Cingulata - Glyptodontidae
Glyptodon cf. clavipes4 Owen 1839 glyptodon
see also Rincón et al. 2008
 Chiroptera - Phyllostomidae
Phyllostomidae indet. Gray 1825 leaf-nosed bat
Trachops cirrhosus Spix 1823 fringe-lipped bat
cf. Micronycteris sp. Gray 1866 big-eared bat
Lophostoma cf. silvicolum d'Orbigny 1836 round-eared bat
 Chiroptera - Vespertilionidae
Eptesicus fuscus Beauvois 1796 big brown bat
Rhogeessa sp. Allen 1866 lesser yellow bat
 Notoungulata - Toxodontidae
Mixotoxodon larensis3 Van Frank 1957 notoungulate
Aves
 Falconiformes - Falconidae
Falco sparverius8 Linnaeus 1758 American kestrel
Falco peregrinus8 Tunstall 1771 Peregrine falcon
Caracara cheriway8 Jacquin 1784 crested caracara
 Ciconiiformes - Ciconiidae
Ciconiidae indet.8 Sundevall 1836 stork
 Pelecaniformes - Ardeidae
Ardeidae indet.8 Leach 1820 heron
Tigrisoma sp.8 Swainson 1827 heron
 Galbuliformes - Bucconidae
Malacoptila sp.8 Gray 1841 bird
 Cathartiformes - Cathartidae
Sarcoramphus "new sp."8 Dumeril 1806 king vulture
Coragyps cf. atratus8 Bechstein 1793 black vulture
Cathartes sp.8 Illiger 1811 vulture
"Vulturidae indet." = Vulturinae8 Illiger 1811 vulture
Wingegyps "new sp."8 Alvarenga and Olson 2004 vulture
 Anseriformes - Anatidae
"Anas discors" = Spatula discors8 Linnaeus 1766 blue-winged teal
"Anas clypeata" = Spatula clypeata8 Linnaeus 1758 northern shoveler
Dendrocygna autumnalis8 Linnaeus 1758 Black-bellied whistling duck
Dendrocygna bicolor8 Vieillot 1816 Fulvous whistling-duck
Anas bahamensis8 Linnaeus 1758 white-cheeked pintail
Sarkidiornis melanotos8 Pennant 1769 comb duck
Cairina moschata8 Linnaeus 1758 muscovy duck
"Nomonyx dominica" = Nomonyx dominicus8 Linnaeus 1766 masked duck
Netta erythrophthalma8 zu Wied 1833 southern pochard
 Caprimulgiformes - Trochilidae
Trochilidae indet.8 Vigors 1825 hummingbird
 Caprimulgiformes - Caprimulgidae
Caprimulgus sp.8 Linnaeus 1758 nightjar
 Columbiformes - Columbidae
Patagioenas sp.8 Reichenbach 1852 dove
Zenaida cf. auriculata8 Des Murs 1847 eared dove
Columbina sp.8 Spix 1825 ground dove
 Cuculiformes - Cuculidae
Coccyzus americanus8 Linnaeus 1758 yellow-billed cuckoo
 Strigiformes - Tytonidae
Tyto alba8 Scopoli 1769 barn owl
 Strigiformes - Strigidae
Athene cunicularia8 Molina 1782 burrowing owl
Asio stygius8 Wagler 1832 stygian owl
"Strix virgata" = Ciccaba virgata8 Cassin 1849 mottled owl
Bubo sp.8 Dumeril 1806 eagle-owl
 Gruiformes - Aramidae
Aramus guarauna8 Linnaeus 1762 limpkin
 Gruiformes - Rallidae
"Aramides cajanea" = Aramides cajaneus8
"Aramides cajanea" = Aramides cajaneus8 Statius Muller 1776 Gray-necked wood-rail
 Passeriformes - Furnariidae
Furnariidae indet.8 Gray 1840 perching bird
 Passeriformes - Tyrannidae
Tyrannus dominicensis8 Gmelin 1788 gray kingbird
Tyrannus melancholicus8 Vieillot 1819 tropical kingbird
Arundinicola leucocephala8 Linnaeus 1764 white-headed marsh-tyrant
Myiozetetes similis8 von Spix 1825 social flycatcher
Pitangus lictor8 Lichtenstein 1823 lesser kiskadee
Pitangus sulphuratus8 Linnaeus 1766 great kiskadee
 Passeriformes - Vireonidae
Hylophilus flavipes8 Lafresnaye 1845 scrub greenlet
 Passeriformes - Hirundinidae
Petrochelidon pyrrhonota8 Vieillot 1816 cliff swallow
 Passeriformes - Thraupidae
Volatinia jacarina8 Linnaeus 1766 blue-black grassquit
Sicalis flaveola8 Linnaeus 1766 saffron finch
 Passeriformes - Icteridae
Chrysomus icterocephalus8 Linnaeus 1766 yellow-hooded blackbird
Icterus spurius8 Linnaeus 1766 orchard oriole
Gymnomystax mexicanus8 Linnaeus 1766 oriole blackbird
Sturnella magna8 Linnaeus 1758 eastern meadowlark
Euphagus cf. magnirostris8 Miller 1929 large-billed blackbird
Quiscalus lugubris8 Swainson 1838 carib grackle
 Accipitriformes - Accipitridae
Accipitridae "sp. 7"8 Viellot 1816 hawk
Accipitridae "sp. 8"8 Viellot 1816 hawk
Geranoaetus melanoleucus8 Vieillot 1819 black-chested buzzard eagle
Gypaetinae indet.8 Vieillot 1816 hawk
Buteogallus "new sp."8 Lesson 1830 black-hawks
Buteogallus meridionalis8 Latham 1790 savanna hawk
Buteogallus aequinoctialis8 Gmelin 1788 rufous crab-hawk
Buteo sp.8 de Lacepède 1799 hawk
 Charadriiformes - Charadriidae
Charadrius vociferus8 Linnaeus 1758 killdeer
 Charadriiformes - Burhinidae
Burhinus sp.8 Illiger 1811 thick-knee
 Charadriiformes - Scolopacidae
Tringa flavipes8 Gmelin 1789 lesser yellowlegs
Tringa solitaria8 Wilson 1813 solitary sandpiper
Tringa melanoleuca8 Gmelin 1789 greater yellowlegs
Phalaropus lobatus8 Linnaeus 1758 red-necked phalarope
Phalaropus tricolor8 Vieillot 1819 Wilson's phalarope
Calidris sp.8 Gmelin 1789 snipe
Calidris canutus8 Linnaeus 1758 red knot
Calidris fuscicollis8 Vieillot 1819 white-rumped sandpiper
Gallinago "sp. 2"8 Brisson 1760 snipe
Gallinago "sp. 3"8 Brisson 1760 snipe
Gallinago paraguaiae8 Vieillot 1816 South American snipe
Reptilia
 Galliformes - Odontophoridae
Colinus cristatus8 Linnaeus 1758 crested bobwhite
 Loricata -
Crocodylia indet.4 crocodilian
"cocodrilos"
 Testudines -
Testudines indet.4 Batsch 1788 turtle
"tortugas"
 Squamata -
Squamata indet.4 squamates
"lagartos"
 Serpentes -
Serpentes indet.4 snake
"serpientes"
 Squamata - Boidae
Epicrates sp.1 Wagler 1830 rainbow boa
Amphibia
 Salientia -
Anura indet.4 frog
"ranas"