Purple Bench (Eocene of the United States)

Also known as TMM 41672; Midwestern State University Dalquest Research Site

Where: Presidio County, Texas (29.9° N, 104.2° W: paleocoordinates 32.3° N, 94.3° W)

• coordinate based on political unit

• small collection-level geographic resolution

When: Middle Member (Devil's Graveyard Formation), Late/Upper Uintan (46.2 - 39.7 Ma)

• Atwater et al. 2020: The maximum depositional age calculated for the Purple Bench locality (43.5 – 44.5 Ma) constrains the absolute age of the late Uintan NALMA (Ui3) within the Tornillo Basin.

Environment/lithology: terrestrial; lithology not reported

Size class: macrofossils

Reposited in the TMM

Primary reference: J. A. Wilson. 1986. Stratigraphic Occurrence and Correlation of Early Tertiary Vertebrate Faunas, Trans-Pecos Texas: Agua Fria-Green Valley Areas. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 6(4):350-373 [J. Alroy/J. Alroy/J. Marcot]more details

Purpose of describing collection: biostratigraphic analysis

PaleoDB collection 16614: authorized by John Alroy, entered by John Alroy on 30.04.1994, edited by Patricia Holroyd

Creative Commons license: CC BY (attribution)

Taxonomic list

• overlies Whistler Squat and underlies Cotter and Skyline Channels
Show authors, comments, and common names
unclassified
  -
Bronthotheriidae indet.7
Reptilia
 Crocodylia -
Crocodylia indet.4
Crocodylia indet.4 Owen 1842 crocodilian
 Squamata -
Squamata indet.4, Alethinophidia indet.4
Squamata indet.4 squamates
TMM 41672-253, large partial left mandible; vertebrae including TMM 41672-272, TMM 41672- 273, TMM 41672-274, TMM 41672-275, and TMM 41672-276; TMM 41672-259, unpaired frontal; TMM 41672-258, body of a large parietal
Alethinophidia indet.4 snake
Includes vertebrae TMM 41672-265, TMM 41672-266, TMM 41672-267, TMM 41672-268
 Squamata - Rhineuridae
Solastella cookei n. gen. n. sp.4
Solastella cookei n. gen. n. sp.4 Stocker and Kirk 2016 worm lizard
TMM 41672-246 (holotype), partial skull and articulated left mandibular ramus missing anterior portion of the premaxilla, right maxilla, right circumorbital elements, and right side of the occipital condyle; TMM 41672-243, skull with complete mandible; TMM 41672-244, partial skull with partial left mandibular ramus; TMM 41672-245, partial skull with left mandibular ramus; TMM 41672-247, partial skull; TMM 41672-249, partial skull.
 Squamata - Anguidae
Glyptosaurinae indet.4
Glyptosaurinae indet.4 Marsh 1872 squamates
TMM 41672-256 and TMM 41672-257, two large premaxillae; cranial and postcranial osteoderms, including TMM 41672-269, TMM 41672-270, TMM 41672-271
 Testudines - Carettochelyidae
Carettochelyidae indet.4
 Testudines -
Testudinoidea indet.4
Testudinoidea indet.4 Gray 1825 turtle
Mammalia
 Theriamorpha - Leptictidae
Leptictidae indet.7
Leptictidae indet.7 Gill 1872 eutherian
 Condylarthra - Hyopsodontidae
Hyopsodus sp.1, Hyopsodus paulus6
Hyopsodus sp.1 Leidy 1870 condylarth
Hyopsodus paulus6 Leidy 1870 condylarth
omitted accidentally by Wilson (?) but confirmed by Williams and Kirk 2008
 Acreodi -
Simidectes magnus
Simidectes magnus Peterson 1919 mesonychian
see Gustafson 1979
 Creodonta - Hyaenodontidae
Sinopa major7
Sinopa major7 Wortman 1902 creodont
 Carnivora - Miacidae
Miocyon cf. scotti1
Miocyon cf. scotti1 Wortman and Matthew 1899 carnivoran
 Perissodactyla - Equidae
Epihippus gracilis1
Epihippus gracilis1 Marsh 1871 horse
 Perissodactyla - Hyracodontidae
Epitriplopus sp.7, ? Triplopus sp.
Epitriplopus sp.7 Wood 1927 odd-toed ungulate
? Triplopus sp. Cope 1880 odd-toed ungulate
see Wilson and Schiebout 1984
 Perissodactyla - Amynodontidae
Amynodon sp.7
Amynodon sp.7 Marsh 1877 odd-toed ungulate
 Artiodactyla - Homacodontidae
Texodon meridianus n. sp.
Texodon meridianus n. sp. West 1982 even-toed ungulate
see West 1982
 Artiodactyla - Protoceratidae
Leptoreodon sp.7, Leptoreodon edwardsi, Leptoreodon major
Leptoreodon sp.7 Wortman 1898 protoceratid
Leptoreodon edwardsi Stock 1936 protoceratid
see Wilson 1984: plus "several" isolated teeth
Leptoreodon major Golz 1976 protoceratid
see Wilson 1984
 Artiodactyla - Agriochoeridae
Protoreodon sp.7, Protoreodon petersoni, Protoreodon pumilus
Protoreodon sp.7 Scott and Osborn 1887 agriochoerid
Protoreodon petersoni Gazin 1955 agriochoerid
Protoreodon pumilus Marsh 1875 agriochoerid
 Artiodactyla - Oromerycidae
? Protylopus sp., ? Malaquiferus sp.
? Protylopus sp. Wortman 1898 even-toed ungulate
? Malaquiferus sp. Gazin 1955 even-toed ungulate
omitted by Williams and Kirk 2008
 Rodentia - Sciuravidae
Prolapsus sp., Pauromys sp.5
Prolapsus sp. Wood 1973 rodent
Pauromys sp.5 Troxell 1923 rodent
"Group 2"
 Rodentia - Cylindrodontidae
Cylindrodontidae indet.1
Cylindrodontidae indet.1 Miller and Gidley 1918 rodent
 Rodentia - Ischyromyidae
Microparamys sp., Leptotomus sp., Thisbemys sp., Paramys cf. delicatior
Microparamys sp. Wood 1959 rodent
Leptotomus sp. Matthew 1910 rodent
Thisbemys sp. Wood 1959 rodent
Paramys cf. delicatior Leidy 1871 rodent
 Primates -
Mescalerolemur horneri n. gen. n. sp.2
Mescalerolemur horneri n. gen. n. sp.2 Kirk and Williams 2011 primate
new specimens
 Primates - Omomyidae
Omomys carteri, "Mytonius hopsoni" = Ourayia hopsoni7, Diablomomys dalquesti n. gen. n. sp.7
Omomys carteri Leidy 1869 tarsier
see West 1982
"Mytonius hopsoni" = Ourayia hopsoni7 Robinson 1968 tarsier
new specimen
Diablomomys dalquesti n. gen. n. sp.7 Williams and Kirk 2008 tarsier
new specimen
 Theriamorpha - Herpetotheriidae
Peratherium sp.7
Peratherium sp.7 Aymard 1850 marsupial
Gastropoda
  - Helminthoglyptidae
Lysinoe breedlovei3
Lysinoe breedlovei3 Roth 1984 snail
Scenopagus
  -
Scenopagus sp.7
Scenopagus sp.7 McKenna and Simpson 1959
1Alroy 2002; 2Kirk and Williams 2011; 3Roth 1984; 4Stocker and Kirk 2016; 5Walton 1993; 6West 1982; 7Williams and Kirk 2008