Bluejay Quarry (Miocene of the United States)

Also known as UNSM Ap-112

Where: Antelope County, Nebraska (42.4° N, 98.1° W: paleocoordinates 42.8° N, 95.5° W)

• coordinate based on nearby landmark

• small collection-level geographic resolution

When: Merritt Dam Member (Ash Hollow Formation), Late/Upper Clarendonian (13.6 - 10.3 Ma)

• single channel fill within a ca. 25 ft sandstone unit; stratigraphic position based on Korth 1997b

• bed-level stratigraphic resolution

Environment/lithology: "channel"; sandstone

• illustrated as within or just above a channel lag
• sand with siliceous tubules

Size classes: macrofossils, mesofossils

Reposited in the UNSM

Primary reference: M. R. Voorhies. 1990. Vertebrate biostratigraphy of the Ogallala Group in Nebraska. In T. C. Gustavson (ed.), Geologic Framework and Regional Hydrology: Upper Cenozoic Blackwater Draw and Ogallala Formations, Great Plains 115-151 [J. Alroy/J. Alroy/J. Marcot]more details

Purpose of describing collection: general faunal/floral analysis

PaleoDB collection 18066: authorized by John Alroy, entered by John Alroy on 05.08.1992, edited by Jonathan Marcot

Creative Commons license: CC BY (attribution)

Taxonomic list

Mammalia
 Proboscidea - Gomphotheriidae
Gomphotheriidae indet. Hay 1922 gomphothere
 Carnivora - Amphicyonidae
cf. Ischyrocyon sp. Matthew and Gidley 1904 bear-dog
 Carnivora - Canidae
Epicyon cf. saevus Leidy 1858 bone-crushing dog
confirmed by Wang et al. 1999
Leptocyon matthewi5 Tedford et al. 2009 canine
 Perissodactyla - Equidae
Equidae indet.1 Gray 1821 horse
Hypohippus sp. Leidy 1858 anchitheriine horse
Protohippus supremus1 Leidy 1869 horse
Pliohippus cf. pernix Marsh 1874 horse
Calippus sp. Matthew and Stirton 1930 horse
Pseudhipparion gratum6 Leidy 1869 hipparionine horse
Hippotherium sp.1 Kaup 1832 hipparionine horse
 Perissodactyla - Rhinocerotidae
Teleoceras major Hatcher 1894 rhinoceros
 Artiodactyla - Camelidae
Megatylopus sp. Matthew and Cook 1909 camel
Procamelus grandis Gregory 1939 camel
Pliauchenia magnifontis Gregory 1939 camel
 Artiodactyla - Merycoidodontidae
"Merychyus major" = Ustatochoerus major1
"Merychyus major" = Ustatochoerus major1 Leidy 1858 oreodont
 Artiodactyla - Tayassuidae
Tayassuinae indet.1 Palmer 1897 peccary
 Artiodactyla - Moschidae
Longirostromeryx cf. wellsi1 Matthew 1904 musk deer
 Artiodactyla - Palaeomerycidae
Cranioceras unicornis Matthew 1918 ruminant
 Theriamorpha - Soricidae
Soricidae indet. Fischer 1814 shrew
 Theriamorpha - Talpidae
Domninoides mimicus Wilson 1968 mole
cf. Mystipterus sp. Hall 1930 mole
 Theriamorpha - Erinaceidae
Untermannerix copiosus Rich 1981 hedgehog
Metechinus amplior Rich 1981 hedgehog
 Rodentia - Sciuridae
Cynomyoides vatis n. sp.2 Korth 1996 squirrel
may include "Marmota cf. vetus"
Spermophilus cyanocittus n. sp.3 Korth 1997 ground squirrel
may include "cf. Ammospermophilus sp."
 Rodentia - Castoridae
"Eucastor planus" = Nothodipoides planus
"Eucastor planus" = Nothodipoides planus Stirton 1935 beaver
"advanced"
 Rodentia - Heteromyidae
Cupidinimus cf. tertius3 Hall 1930 rodent
Cupidinimus prattensis1 Korth 1998 rodent
Perognathus cf. minutus3 James 1963 pocket mouse
 Rodentia - Geomyidae
"Phelosaccomys hibbardi" = Parapliosaccomys hibbardi3
"Phelosaccomys hibbardi" = Parapliosaccomys hibbardi3 Storer 1973 pocket gopher
 Rodentia - Cricetidae
Copemys sp.3, "Tregomys cf. pisinnus" = Copemys pisinnus1, Pseudomyscus bathygnathus n. sp.3
Copemys sp.3 Wood 1936 mouse
compared to C. esmeraldensis, C. mariae and C. longidens
"Tregomys cf. pisinnus" = Copemys pisinnus1 Wilson 1968 mouse
Pseudomyscus bathygnathus n. sp.3 Korth 1997 mouse
 Rodentia - Mylagaulidae
Mylagaulidae indet.4 Cope 1881 rodent
 Lagomorpha - Ochotonidae
Hesperolagomys sp. Clark et al. 1964 pika
 Lagomorpha - Leporidae