Valentine Railway Quarries: Barstovian, Nebraska

List of taxa
Where & when
Geology
Taphonomy & methods
Metadata & references
Taxonomic list
Amphibia - Temnospondyli - Bufonidae
Bufo valentinensis Estes and Tihen 1964
Estes and Tihen 1964
Cr-12
Amphibia - Temnospondyli - Ranidae
Rana sp. Linnaeus 1758
Estes and Tihen 1964
Amphibia - Temnospondyli - Hylidae
Hyla sp. Laurenti 1768
Estes and Tihen 1964
V-337-ND: see Chantell 1966
Amphibia - Temnospondyli - Pelobatidae
Scaphiopus cf. alexanderi Zweifel 1956
Estes and Tihen 1964
    = Scaphiopus sp. Holbrook 1836
Holman and Sullivan 1981
Cr-12: same element (broken saccrococcyx) but different specimen number (UNSM 61017 vs. 6107), which I'm assuming is a typo; said to be indeterminate at the subgeneric level
Amphibia - Temnospondyli - Urodela
Ambystoma minshalli Tihen and Chantell 1963
Estes and Tihen 1964
Cr-12
Mammalia - Rodentia - Sciuridae
Tamias sp. Illinger 1811
Voorhies 1990
    = Tamiini indet.
Evander 1999
synonym of Marmotini
compared to both Tamias and "Eutamias"; Cr-13; "Sciuridae indet."
Mammalia - Rodentia - Geomyidae
Phelosaccomys sp. Korth and Reynolds 1994
Evander 1999
Cr-13: presumably includes "Parapliosaccomys annae"
Mammalia - Rodentia - Heteromyidae
Perognathus cf. furlongi Gazin 1930
Evander 1999
Cr-13 (1 measurement)
Perognathus trojectioansrum Korth 1979
Voorhies 1990
omitted by Evander 1999, and possibly includes his "Cupidinimus sp." from Cr-13
Cupidinimus nebraskensis Wood 1935
Klingener 1968
at Cr-12, 13, and type from Cr-13: Evander 1999
Mammalia - Rodentia - Castoridae
Anchitheriomys sp. Roger 1885
Voorhies 1990
Monosaulax skinneri n. sp. Stout 1999
Evander 1999
from Cr-12; also at Cr-13; "M. pansus"; also described by Stirton 1935
Prodipoides burgensis (Korth 2002)
Korth 2008
Eucastor tortus (Leidy 1858)
Voorhies 1990
from Cr-12, 13: Evander 1999
Eucastor valentinensis n. sp. Stout 1999
Voorhies 1990
    = Monosaulax valentinensis Stout 1999
Evander 1999
recombined as Temperocastor valentinensis
from Cr-12; "Monosaulax curtus"
Mammalia - Rodentia - Mylagaulidae
Mylagaulus cf. monodon Cope 1881
Voorhies 1990
    = Pterogaulus sp. Korth 2000
Korth 2000
at West Valentine Quarry
Mylagaulus laevis Matthew 1902
Voorhies 1990
    = Pterogaulus laevis Matthew 1902
Evander 1999
Cr-12, 13; also "cf. Mylagaulus sp." at Cr-12
Mammalia - Rodentia - Cricetidae
Copemys niobrariensis (Hoffmeister 1959)
Voorhies 1990
    = Copemys sp. Wood 1936
Evander 1999
Mammalia - Lagomorpha - Leporidae
Hypolagus parviplicatus Dawson 1958
Voorhies 1990
(Cr-12), (Cr-13), (Cr-114): Voorhies and Timperley 1997
Hypolagus fontinalis Dawson 1958
Voorhies and Timperley 1997
(Cr-13), (Cr-114)
Pronotolagus albus Voorhies and Timperley 1997
Voorhies and Timperley 1997
(Cr-114)
Mammalia - Lagomorpha - Ochotonidae
Hesperolagomys fluviatilis Storer 1970
Voorhies 1990
from Cr-12, 13: Evander 1999; also at Cr-114: Bair 2001 (1 measurement)
    = Hesperolagomys sp. Clark et al. 1964
Bair 2002
said to be new
Russellagus vonhofi Storer 1970
Voorhies 1990
omitted by Evander 1999, but present at Cr-114 according to Bair 2001
Mammalia - Erinaceidae
Parvericius montanus Koerner 1940
Voorhies 1990
Untermannerix copiosus Rich 1981
Voorhies 1990
Metechinus amplior Rich 1981
Voorhies 1990
? Lanthanotherium sp. (Filhol 1888)
Voorhies 1990
original and current combination Lantanotherium
Mammalia - Soricidae
Soricidae indet. Fischer 1814
Voorhies 1990
Mammalia - Plesiosoricidae
Plesiosorex donroosai Green 1977
Voorhies 1990
Mammalia - Talpidae
Domninoides valentinensis Reed 1962
Voorhies 1990
Mystipterus sp. Hall 1930
Voorhies 1990
Mammalia - Chiroptera - Vespertilionidae
Vespertilionidae indet. Gray 1821
Voorhies 1990
a bat
Mammalia - Perissodactyla - Rhinocerotidae
Aphelops sp. Owen 1845
Voorhies 1990
Peraceras cf. crassus (Leidy 1858)
Voorhies 1990
    = Peraceras cf. superciliosum Cope 1880
Alroy 2002
original and current combination Peraceras superciliosus
Teleoceras cf. medicornutum Osborn 1904
Voorhies 1990
    = Teleoceras sp. Hatcher 1894
Alroy 2002
Mammalia - Perissodactyla - Tapiridae
Tapiravus polkensis Olsen 1960
Voorhies 1990
    = Tapirus cf. polkensis Olsen 1960
Alroy 2002
Mammalia - Perissodactyla - Equidae
Anchitherium sp. von Meyer 1844
Voorhies 1990
    = Anchitheriinae indet. Leidy 1869
Alroy 2002
original and current combination Anchitheridae
Megahippus mckennai Tedford and Alf 1962
Voorhies 1990
Hypohippus osborni Gidley 1907
Voorhies 1990
Parahippus cognatus (Leidy 1858)
Voorhies 1990
Pseudhipparion cf. retrusum (Cope 1889)
Voorhies 1990
Cormohipparion quinni Woodburne 1996
Voorhies 1990
    = Hippotherium quinni Woodburne 1996
Woodburne 1996
original and current combination Cormohipparion quinni
Quarry A
Cormohipparion goorisi MacFadden and Skinner 1981
Evander 2008
UNSM 1352
Merychippus cf. insignis Leidy 1856
Voorhies 1990
Calippus sp. (Matthew and Stirton 1930)
Hulbert 1989
original and current combination Protohippus (Calippus)
pers. commun.: "C. placidus"; said to be a new species
Calippus regulus Johnston 1937
Hulbert 1989
pers. commun.
Protohippus perditus (Leidy 1858)
Voorhies 1990
Pliohippus mirabilis (Leidy 1858)
Voorhies 1990
Mammalia - Tayassuidae
Dyseohyus xiphodonticus n. sp. (Barbour 1925)
Voorhies 1990
    = Prosthennops xiphodonticus Barbour 1925
Alroy 2002
recombined as Stirtonhyus xiphodonticus
Mammalia - Camelidae
Floridatragulus sp. White 1940
Voorhies 1990
Protolabis cf. gracilis (Leidy 1858)
Voorhies 1990
Aepycamelus robustus (Leidy 1858)
Voorhies 1990
Procamelus occidentalis Leidy 1858
Voorhies 1990
Mammalia - Moschidae
Longirostromeryx blicki Frick 1937
Voorhies 1990
synonym of Longirostromeryx wellsi
apparently includes "Blastomeryx gemmifer valentinensis" type; "L. serpentis"; and "B. elegans" of Frick 1937 from Quarry A
Mammalia - Palaeomerycidae
Cranioceras skinneri Frick 1937
Voorhies 1990
    = Procranioceras skinneri Frick 1937
Alroy 2002
at Quarry A: see Frick 1937
Mammalia - Antilocapridae
Submeryceros minor (Frick 1937)
Voorhies 1990
recombined as Merycodus minor
Merycodus warreni (Leidy 1858)
Voorhies 1990
includes "M. warreni johnsoni" material of Frick 1937 from Quarry A and Quarry B
Mammalia - Leptomerycidae
Pseudoparablastomeryx francescita (Frick 1937)
Voorhies 1990
Mammalia - Merycoidodontidae
Ustatochoerus medius (Leidy 1858)
Voorhies 1990
    = Merychyus medius Leidy 1858
Alroy 2002
recombined as Ustatochoerus medius
at Quarry A: see Schultz and Falkenbach 1941
Mammalia - Carnivora - Felidae
Pseudaelurus marshi Thorpe 1922
Voorhies 1990
(1 measurement)
Pseudaelurus intrepidus (Leidy 1858)
Voorhies 1990
Mammalia - Carnivora - Amphicyonidae
Amphicyonidae indet. Haeckel 1886
Voorhies 1990
Mammalia - Carnivora - Mephitidae
Pliogale sp. Hall 1930
Voorhies 1990
Mammalia - Carnivora - Procyonidae
Arctonasua sp. Baskin 1982
Voorhies 1990
Probassariscus antiquus (Matthew and Cook 1909)
Voorhies 1990
original and current combination Bassariscus antiquus
apparently includes "Bassariscus parvus"
Mammalia - Carnivora - Mustelidae
Mionictis sp. Matthew 1924
Voorhies 1990
Leptarctus cf. bozemanensis (Dorr 1954)
Voorhies 1990
    = Hypsoparia cf. bozemanensis Dorr 1954
Alroy 2002
synonym of Leptarctus primus
Mammalia - Carnivora - Canidae
Leptocyon vafer (Leidy 1858)
Voorhies 1990
Cynarctus saxatilis Matthew 1902
Voorhies 1990
confirmed by Wang et al. 1999
Carpocyon cuspidatus (Thorpe 1922)
Voorhies 1990
    = Carpocyon compressus Cope 1890
Alroy 2002
this could include the type of Thorpe 1922e from "Valentine beds... Niobrara River below Rapid (now Minnechaduza) Creek"; present at Cr-12, Cr-13, and Cr-114, see Wang et al. 1999
Tomarctus temerarius (Leidy 1858)
Voorhies 1990
    = Paratomarctus temerarius Leidy 1858
Alroy 2002
includes "T. euthos" of Evander 1986; at Cr-12, Cr-13, and Cr-114: Wang et al. 1999
Aelurodon ferox Leidy 1858
Voorhies 1990
includes type of A. "platyrhinus" from Quarry A; also at Cr-114, see Wang et al. 1999
Strobodon sp. Webb 1969
Voorhies 1990
    = Aelurodon mcgrewi Wang et al. 1999
Wang et al. 1999
"S. stirtoni" of Evander 1986; at Cr-12, Cr-13
Mammalia - Proboscidea - Gomphotheriidae
Gomphotherium cf. osborni (Barbour 1916)
Voorhies 1990
    = Gomphotherium cf. willistoni Barbour 1914
Alroy 2002
synonym of Trilophodon osborni
Mammalia - Proboscidea - Mammutidae
Zygolophodon sp. (Vacek 1877)
Voorhies 1990
Reptilia - Testudines - Chelydridae
Chelydra sp. Schweigger 1812
Holman and Sullivan 1981
Cr-12
Reptilia - Testudines - Emydidae
Glyptemys valentinensis n. sp. Holman and Fritz 2001
Holman and Fritz 2001
type is from Quarry A and previously was identified as C. picta; some referred material from West Valentine previously was referred to E. hutchisoni; also present at Quarry B; erroneously discussed as G. insculpta by Holman 2002 (1 measurement)
Chrysemys picta (Schneider 1783)
Holman and Sullivan 1981
Cr-12
Emydoidea hutchisoni n. sp. Holman 1995
Holman 1995
nomen dubium belonging to Emydidae
West Valentine Quarry; also present at Railway Quarry B according to Hutchison 2002, but all referred specimens are Chrysemys or indeterminate emydids according to Hutchison 2003
Reptilia - Testudines - Testudinidae
Geochelone orthopygia (Cope 1878)
Estes and Tihen 1964
recombined as Hesperotestudo orthopygia
Cr-12 and Cr-13
Reptilia - Testudines - Trionychidae
Holman and Sullivan 1981
Cr-13: carapace fragment, no subgeneric assignment
    = Trionychidae indet. Gray 1825
Alroy 2006
Reptilia - Colubridae
Colubrinae indet. Oppel 1811
Estes and Tihen 1964
Cr-13
Salvadora paleolineata Holman 1973
Holman and Sullivan 1981
Cr-13
Neonatrix elongata Holman 1973
Holman and Sullivan 1981
Cr-13
Reptilia - Iguanidae
Leiocephalus sp. Gray 1827
Holman and Sullivan 1981
Cr-13: said to be a new species
Reptilia
Crocodylia indet. (Owen 1842)
Whiting and Head 2020
UNSM 135016-135018
Actinopteri - Amiiformes - Amiidae
Amia sp. Linnaeus 1766
Estes and Tihen 1964
Actinopteri - Siluriformes - Ictaluridae
Ictalurus sp. Rafinesque 1820
Estes and Tihen 1964
see common names

Geography
Country:United States State/province:Nebraska County:Cherry
Coordinates: 42.8° North, 100.8° West (view map)
Paleocoordinates:43.4° North, 97.5° West
Basis of coordinate:based on political unit
Geographic resolution:small collection
Time
Period:Neogene Epoch:Miocene
10 m.y. bin:Cenozoic 5
*Period:Tertiary
Key time interval:Barstovian
Age range of interval:15.97000 - 13.60000 m.y. ago
* legacy (obsolete) database fields
Stratigraphy
Geological group:Ogallala Formation:Valentine Member:Crookston Bridge
Local section:ValAH Local bed:2
Local order:bottom to top
Stratigraphic resolution:bed
Lithology and environment
Primary lithology: not reported
Environment:terrestrial indet.
Taphonomy
Modes of preservation:body
Size of fossils:macrofossils,mesofossils
Collection methods and comments
Collection size:2760 specimens
Reason for describing collection:general faunal/floral analysis
Museum repositories:UNSM
Taxonomic list comments:Cr-12, -13, and -114 yielded "over 2000," "nearly 400," and "fewer than 50" specimens: Evander 1986; reported as 2430, 376, and 44 by Skinner and Johnson 1984, who seem more reliable; their total is 2760
Stewart Quarry and Fischer Quarry (see) are just a few hundred meters to the west and in the same horizon
Metadata
Also known as:Railway Quarry "A" (Aelurodon platyrhinus Quarry; UNSM Cr-12; UCMP V-337), Railway Quarry "B" (UNSM Cr-13), West Valentine Quarry (UNSM Cr-114)
Database number:18442
Authorizer:J. Alroy, J. Marcot, P. Mannion Enterer:J. Alroy, P. Mannion, J. Marcot
Modifier:P. Mannion Research group:vertebrate
Created:1992-08-05 00:00:00 Last modified:2020-06-22 09:44:52
Access level:the public Released:1992-08-05 00:00:00
Creative Commons license:CC BY
Reference information

Primary reference:

3503. M. R. Voorhies. 1990. Vertebrate paleontology of the proposed Norden Reservoir Area, Brown, Cherry and Keya Paha counties, Nebraska. Technical Report, Division of Archeological Research, Department of Anthropology, University of Nebraska 82-09 [J. Alroy/J. Alroy/J. Alroy]

Secondary references:

6294 J. Alroy. 2002. Synonymies and reidentifications of North American fossil mammals. [J. Alroy/J. Alroy/M. Kouvari]
18120 J. Alroy. 2006. Synonymies and reidentifications of North American fossil vertebrates. [J. Alroy/J. Alroy/J. Alroy]
7285 A. Bair. 2002. Middle Miocene pikas (Lagomorpha, Ochotonidae) from North America: intraspecific variation, paleohabitat, and diversity. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 22(3):34A [J. Alroy/J. Alroy/J. Alroy]
25726 C. J. Chantell. 1966. Late Cenozoic hylids from the Great Plains. Herpetologica 22(4):259-264 [J. Alroy/J. Alroy]
7565 R. Estes and J. A. Tihen. 1964. Lower vertebrates from the Valentine Formation of Nebraska. American Midland Naturalist 72(2):453-472 [J. Alroy/J. Alroy/J. Alroy]
1467 R. L. Evander. 1999. Rodents and lagomorphs (Mammalia) from the Railway Quarries local fauna (Miocene, Barstovian) of Nebraska. Paludicola 2(3):240-256 [J. Alroy/J. Alroy/M. Uhen]
55149 R. L. Evander. 2008. Craniometry of the Equidae part I: two-dimensional shape analysis. 7(1):1-13 [J. Marcot/J. Marcot]
23545 J. A. Holman. 1995. A new species of Emydoidea (Reptilia: Testudines) from the Late Barstovian (Medial Miocene) of Cherry County, Nebraska. Journal of Herpetology 29(4):548-553 [J. Alroy/J. Alroy]
23546 J. A. Holman. 2002. Additional specimens of the Miocene turtle Emydoidea hutchisoni Holman 1995: new temporal occurrences, taxonomic characters, and phylogenetic inferences. Journal of Herpetology 36(3):436-446 [J. Alroy/J. Alroy]
24970 J. A. Holman and U. Fritz. 2001. A new emydine species from the Medial Miocene (Barstovian) of Nebraska, USA with a new generic arrangement for the species of Clemmys sensu McDowell (1964) (Reptilia: Testudines: Emydidae). Zoologische Abhandlungen: Staatliches Museum für Tierkunde Dresden 51(19):321-343 [J. Alroy/J. Alroy]
719 J. A. Holman and R. M. Sullivan. 1981. A small herpetofauna from the type section of the Valentine Formation (Miocene: Barstovian), Cherry County, Nebraska. Journal of Paleontology 55(1):138-144 [J. Alroy/M. Sommers/J. Alroy]
12940 J. A. Holman and M. Tanimoto. 2004. cf. Trimeresurus Lacépède (Reptilia: Squamata: Viperidae: Crotalinae) from the late Early Miocene of Japan. Acta Zoologica Cracoviensia 47(1):1-7 [J. Head/J. Head/J. Head]
1952 R. C. Hulbert, Jr. 1989. Phylogenetic Interrelationships and Evolution of North American Late Equidae. In D. R. Prothero and R. M. Schoch (eds.), The Evolution of Perissodactyls [J. Alroy/J. Alroy/M. Uhen]
7564 D. Klingener. 1968. Rodents of the Mio-Pliocene Norden Bridge local fauna, Nebraska. American Midland Naturalist 80(1):65-74 [J. Alroy/J. Alroy/J. Alroy]
2143 W. W. Korth. 2000. Review of Miocene (Hemingfordian to Clarendonian) mylagaulid rodents (Mammalia) from Nebraska. Annals of Carnegie Museum 69(4):227-280 [J. Alroy/J. Alroy/J. Marcot]
31435 W. W. Korth. 2008. Cranial morphology, systematics and succession of beavers from the middle Miocene Valentine Formation of Nebraska, USA. Acta Palaeontologica Polonica 53(2):169-182 [J. Alroy/J. Alroy]
3510 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]
3518 M. R. Voorhies and C. L. Timperley. 1997. A New Pronotolagus (Lagomorpha: Leporidae) and Other Leporids from the Valentine Railway Quarries (Barstovian, Nebraska), and the Archaeolagine-Leporine Transition. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 17(4):725-737 [J. Alroy/J. Alroy/J. Ju]
3558 X. Wang, R. H. Tedford, and B. E. Taylor. 1999. Phylogenetic systematics of the Borophaginae (Carnivora: Canidae). Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 243:1-392 [J. Alroy/J. Alroy/J. Alroy]
72834 E. T. Whiting and J. J. Head. 2020. Neogene crocodylians from the Central Great Plains: spatiotemporal histories and relationships with regional climatic and environmental changes. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 40(1):e1764007:1-14 [P. Mannion/P. Mannion/P. Mannion]
3755 M. O. Woodburne. 1996. Reappraisal of the Cormohipparion from the Valentine Formation, Nebraska. American Museum Novitates 3163:1-56 [J. Alroy/J. Alroy/J. Marcot]