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

Amphibia
 Salientia -
Anura indet.4 frog
"ranas"
Mammalia
 Rodentia - Caviidae
Neochoerus sp.5 Hay 1926 caviomorph
 Rodentia - Echimyidae
Dactylomyinae indet.5 Tate 1935 spiny rat
said to be new
Echimys sp.5 Cuvier 1809 spiny tree-rat
 Rodentia -
 Rodentia - Muridae
Heteromys anomalus5 forest spiny pocket mouse
 Rodentia - Cricetidae
Sigmodon hispidus5 Say and Ord 1825 hispid cotton rat
Calomys hummelinki5 vesper mouse
Holochilus sciureus5 Wagner 1842 marsh rat
 Placentalia -
Primates indet.4 Linnaeus 1758 primate
 Chiroptera - Vespertilionidae
Rhogeessa sp. Allen 1866 lesser yellow bat
Eptesicus fuscus Beauvois 1796 big brown bat
 Chiroptera - Phyllostomidae
Phyllostomidae indet. Gray 1825 leaf-nosed bat
cf. Micronycteris sp. Gray 1866 big-eared bat
Trachops cirrhosus Spix 1823 fringe-lipped bat
Lophostoma cf. silvicolum d'Orbigny 1836 round-eared bat
 Perissodactyla - Equidae
Equus (Amerhippus) santaeelenae4 Spillmann 1938 horse
 Artiodactyla - Camelidae
Palaeolama (Palaeolama) sp.4 Churcher 1965 camel
"Paleolama (Paleolama)"
 Artiodactyla - Cervidae
Odocoileus sp.4 Rafinesque 1832 New World deer
Mazama sp.4 Rafinesque 1817 brocket deer
 Carnivora - Felidae
Smilodon populator6 Lund 1842 saber-toothed cat
 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
 Cingulata - Glyptodontidae
Glyptodon cf. clavipes4 Owen 1839 glyptodon
see also Rincón et al. 2008
 Cingulata - Pampatheriidae
Pampatherium humboldtii5 Lund 1839 edentate
 Cingulata - Dasypodidae
"Dasypus sabanicola" = Dasypus (Dasypus) sabanicola5 Mondolfi 1967 Llanos long-nosed armadillo
Propraopus sulcatus5 Lund 1838 armadillo
 Megatherioidea - Megatheriidae
Eremotherium sp.4 Spillmann 1948 edentate
 Notoungulata - Toxodontidae
Mixotoxodon larensis3 Van Frank 1957 notoungulate
 Didelphimorphia - Didelphidae
Didelphis sp.4 Linnaeus 1758 large American opossum
Reptilia
 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
 Loricata -
Crocodylia indet.4 crocodilian
"cocodrilos"
Aves
 Charadriiformes - Charadriidae
Charadrius vociferus8 Linnaeus 1758 killdeer
 Charadriiformes - Burhinidae
Burhinus sp.8 Illiger 1811 thick-knee
 Charadriiformes - Scolopacidae
Gallinago "sp. 2"8 Brisson 1760 snipe
Gallinago "sp. 3"8 Brisson 1760 snipe
Gallinago paraguaiae8 Vieillot 1816 South American snipe
Calidris sp.8 Gmelin 1789 snipe
Calidris fuscicollis8 Vieillot 1819 white-rumped sandpiper
Calidris canutus8 Linnaeus 1758 red knot
Tringa flavipes8 Gmelin 1789 lesser yellowlegs
Tringa melanoleuca8 Gmelin 1789 greater yellowlegs
Tringa solitaria8 Wilson 1813 solitary sandpiper
Phalaropus lobatus8 Linnaeus 1758 red-necked phalarope
Phalaropus tricolor8 Vieillot 1819 Wilson's phalarope
 Falconiformes - Falconidae
Falco sparverius8 Linnaeus 1758 American kestrel
Falco peregrinus8 Tunstall 1771 Peregrine falcon
Caracara cheriway8 Jacquin 1784 crested caracara
 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
Buteo sp.8 de Lacepède 1799 hawk
Buteogallus "new sp."8 Lesson 1830 black-hawks
Buteogallus meridionalis8 Latham 1790 savanna hawk
Buteogallus aequinoctialis8 Gmelin 1788 rufous crab-hawk
 Caprimulgiformes - Trochilidae
Trochilidae indet.8 Vigors 1825 hummingbird
 Caprimulgiformes - Caprimulgidae
Caprimulgus sp.8 Linnaeus 1758 nightjar
 Passeriformes - Vireonidae
Hylophilus flavipes8 Lafresnaye 1845 scrub greenlet
 Passeriformes - Furnariidae
Furnariidae indet.8 Gray 1840 perching bird
 Passeriformes - Thraupidae
Sicalis flaveola8 Linnaeus 1766 saffron finch
Volatinia jacarina8 Linnaeus 1766 blue-black grassquit
 Passeriformes - Tyrannidae
Pitangus lictor8 Lichtenstein 1823 lesser kiskadee
Pitangus sulphuratus8 Linnaeus 1766 great kiskadee
Arundinicola leucocephala8 Linnaeus 1764 white-headed marsh-tyrant
Tyrannus melancholicus8 Vieillot 1819 tropical kingbird
Tyrannus dominicensis8 Gmelin 1788 gray kingbird
Myiozetetes similis8 von Spix 1825 social flycatcher
 Passeriformes - Icteridae
Gymnomystax mexicanus8 Linnaeus 1766 oriole blackbird
Sturnella magna8 Linnaeus 1758 eastern meadowlark
Icterus spurius8 Linnaeus 1766 orchard oriole
Quiscalus lugubris8 Swainson 1838 carib grackle
Euphagus cf. magnirostris8 Miller 1929 large-billed blackbird
Chrysomus icterocephalus8 Linnaeus 1766 yellow-hooded blackbird
 Passeriformes - Hirundinidae
Petrochelidon pyrrhonota8 Vieillot 1816 cliff swallow
 Columbiformes - Columbidae
Zenaida cf. auriculata8 Des Murs 1847 eared dove
Patagioenas sp.8 Reichenbach 1852 dove
Columbina sp.8 Spix 1825 ground dove
 Cuculiformes - Cuculidae
Coccyzus americanus8 Linnaeus 1758 yellow-billed cuckoo
 Strigiformes - Strigidae
Athene cunicularia8 Molina 1782 burrowing owl
Bubo sp.8 Dumeril 1806 eagle-owl
Asio stygius8 Wagler 1832 stygian owl
"Strix virgata" = Ciccaba virgata8 Cassin 1849 mottled owl
 Strigiformes - Tytonidae
Tyto alba8 Scopoli 1769 barn 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
 Anseriformes - Anatidae
Netta erythrophthalma8 zu Wied 1833 southern pochard
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
"Nomonyx dominica" = Nomonyx dominicus8 Linnaeus 1766 masked duck
Cairina moschata8 Linnaeus 1758 muscovy duck
"Anas discors" = Spatula discors8 Linnaeus 1766 blue-winged teal
"Anas clypeata" = Spatula clypeata8 Linnaeus 1758 northern shoveler
 Ciconiiformes - Ciconiidae
Ciconiidae indet.8 Sundevall 1836 stork
 Pelecaniformes - Ardeidae
Ardeidae indet.8 Leach 1820 heron
Tigrisoma sp.8 Swainson 1827 heron
 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
 Galbuliformes - Bucconidae
Malacoptila sp.8 Gray 1841 bird
 Galliformes - Odontophoridae
Colinus cristatus8 Linnaeus 1758 crested bobwhite