PBDB Collection

Big Spring Canyon (Miocene of the United States)

Also known as UCMP V-3322; SDSM V-512; Ed Ross Ranch

Where: Bennett County, South Dakota (43.2° N, 101.8° W: paleocoordinates 43.7° N, 99.2° W)

• coordinate based on political unit

When: Clarendonian (12.5 - 9.4 Ma)

Environment/lithology: terrestrial

Size class: macrofossils

Reposited in the SDSM

Primary reference: J. T. Gregory. 1942. Pliocene Vertebrates From Big Spring Canyon South Dakota. University of California Publications, Bulletin of the Department of Geological Sciences 26(4):307-446 [J. Alroy/J. Alroy/J. Marcot]more details

Purpose of describing collection: taxonomic analysis

PaleoDB collection 18063: authorized by John Alroy, entered by John Alroy on 05.08.1992, edited by Jonathan Marcot

Creative Commons license: CC BY (attribution)

Taxonomic list

• earlier AMNH collections are from site 1
sites 1-3, 5-10, 12, and 15-19 are within about 130 m of each other in less than a 20 foot interval; site 4 includes only the type of P. magnifontis, also known from the main quarry; 13 and 14 include only Eucastor

Show authors, comments, and common names

Mammalia
Proboscidea - Gomphotheriidae	Amebelodon sp. Amebelodon sp. Barbour 1927 gomphothere
Rodentia - Castoridae	Eucastor sp. Eucastor sp. Allen 1877 beaver AMNH specimen described by Stirton 1935
Rodentia - Mylagaulidae	Mylagaulidae indet.⁶ Mylagaulidae indet.⁶ Cope 1881 rodent
Lagomorpha - Leporidae	Hypolagus fontinalis n. sp.² Hypolagus fontinalis n. sp.² Dawson 1958 rabbit
Theriamorpha - Talpidae	Domninoides sp.⁵ Domninoides sp.⁵ Green 1956 mole
Carnivora - Amphicyonidae	Ischyrocyon gidleyi¹ Ischyrocyon gidleyi¹ Matthew 1902 bear-dog
Carnivora - Mustelidae	Mustelidae indet., "Martes campestris" = Sthenictis campestris Mustelidae indet. Fischer 1817 mustelid carnivore "cf. Bassariscus or Leptarctus" "Martes campestris" = Sthenictis campestris Gregory 1942 mustelid carnivore
Carnivora - Nimravidae	Barbourofelis whitfordi¹ Barbourofelis whitfordi¹ Barbour and Cook 1915 false sabre-tooth
Carnivora - Felidae	Pseudaelurus sp. Pseudaelurus sp. Leidy 1858 cat
Carnivora - Canidae	Leptocyon matthewi⁷, Aelurodon taxoides, "Aelurodon inflatus n. sp." = Epicyon saevus Leptocyon matthewi⁷ Tedford et al. 2009 canine "Vulpes": see description of Nelson & Madsen 1987 Aelurodon taxoides Hatcher 1894 bone-crushing dog see also Wang et al. 1999 "Aelurodon inflatus n. sp." = Epicyon saevus Leidy 1858 bone-crushing dog
Artiodactyla - Merycoidodontidae	"Merychyus novomexicanus" = Ustatochoerus medius novomexicanus¹ "Merychyus novomexicanus" = Ustatochoerus medius novomexicanus¹ Frick 1929 oreodont
Artiodactyla - Moschidae	Longirostromeryx wellsi Longirostromeryx wellsi Matthew 1904 musk deer
Artiodactyla - Antilocapridae	Cosoryx cf. furcatus¹ Cosoryx cf. furcatus¹ Leidy 1869 pronghorn
Artiodactyla - Palaeomerycidae	Cranioceras unicornis³ Cranioceras unicornis³ Matthew 1918 ruminant
Artiodactyla - Tayassuidae	Macrogenis crassigenis⁹ Macrogenis crassigenis⁹ Matthew and Gidley 1904 peccary "BSC"
Artiodactyla - Camelidae	Camelidae indet.¹, Pliauchenia magnifontis, Procamelus grandis, ? Protolabis sp. Camelidae indet.¹ Gray 1821 camel Pliauchenia magnifontis Gregory 1939 camel Procamelus grandis Gregory 1939 camel ? Protolabis sp. Cope 1876 camel confirmed by Honey and Taylor 1978
Perissodactyla - Equidae	Equidae indet.¹, Hypohippus sp., Calippus martini⁴, Pliohippus cf. pernix, Pseudhipparion cf. gratum, Nannippus sp.⁴ Equidae indet.¹ Gray 1821 horse Hypohippus sp. Leidy 1858 anchitheriine horse Calippus martini⁴ Hesse 1936 horse pers. commun. Pliohippus cf. pernix Marsh 1874 horse Pseudhipparion cf. gratum Leidy 1869 hipparionine horse Nannippus sp.⁴ Matthew 1926 hipparionine horse pers. commun.: "A"
Perissodactyla - Rhinocerotidae	Teleoceras major⁸ Teleoceras major⁸ Hatcher 1894 rhinoceros

¹Alroy 2002; ²Dawson 1958; ³Frick 1937; ⁴Hulbert 1989; ⁵Hutchison 1968; ⁶Korth 2000; ⁷Tedford et al. 2009; ⁸Voorhies 1985; ⁹Wright 1983