Terapa (Pleistocene of Mexico)

Also known as Térapa; Río Moctezuma; Camel Bill

Where: Sonora, Mexico (29.7° N, 109.7° W: paleocoordinates 29.7° N, 109.7° W)

• coordinate stated in text

• local area-level geographic resolution

When: Rancholabrean (0.3 - 0.0 Ma)

• said to be Irvingtonian by Mead et al. 2001, but Rancholabrean by Mead et al. 2006

•overlays the Tonibabi flow, dated at 0.44 +/- 0.13 (2 sigma) Ma using 40Ar-39Ar (i.e., early Rancholabrean)

•most material is from a ~2m thick bed ("As3"), but some is from beds immediately above and below

• group of beds-level stratigraphic resolution

Environment/lithology: fluvial; sandstone and silty claystone

• most aquatic material from a "well-sorted medium-to-find-grained sand wedge... [that] represents a flowing stream possibly 2 to 3 m wide" within a "massive, silty-clay layer... representing over-bank flow" that is "up to 1.5 m thick" and also is somewhat fossiliferous; most terrestrial vertebrates from an overlying "organic-rich silt and clays... This paludal deposit is 1.5 to 1.8 m thick and is rich in fossils, especially microfaunal remains." Fossils also are found higher in the section in "fluvial deposits."

Size classes: macrofossils, mesofossils

Collection methods: bulk, surface (float), sieve

Primary reference: J. I. Mead, A. Baez, S. L. Swift, M. C. Carpenter, M. Hollenshead, N. J. Czaplewski, D. W. Steadman, J. Bright, and J. Arroyo-Cabrales. 2006. Tropical marsh and savanna of the late Pleistocene in northeastern Sonora, Mexico. Southwestern Naturalist 51(2):226-239 [J. Alroy/J. Alroy]more details

Purpose of describing collection: general faunal/floral analysis

PaleoDB collection 20495: authorized by John Alroy, entered by John Alroy on 15.05.2002, edited by Richard Hulbert, Matthew Clapham and Nicholas Famoso

Creative Commons license: CC BY (attribution)

Taxonomic list

• 29*20' N 109* 43' W according to GEOnet
suspected to be between 0.5 and 1.7 Ma
unclassified
  -
Actinopteri
 Cypriniformes - Cyprinidae
Cyprinidae indet. Rafinesque 1815 carp-like fish
 Cypriniformes - Catostomidae
Catostomidae indet. carp-like fish
 Siluriformes - Ictaluridae
Ictaluridae indet. Gill 1861 catfish
Mammalia
  - Mylodontidae
Paramylodon sp. Brown 1903 edentate
 Cingulata - Pampatheriidae
Pampatherium cf. mexicanum2 Edmund 1996 edentate
probably Holmesina sp. of Mead et al. 2001
 Cingulata - Glyptodontidae
Glyptotherium cylindricum2 Brown 1912 glyptodon
 Proboscidea - Gomphotheriidae
Cuvieronius sp. Osborn 1923 gomphothere
 Proboscidea - Elephantidae
Mammuthus sp. Brookes 1828 mammoth
 Placentalia -
Chiroptera indet. Blumenbach 1779 bat
"various families"
 Perissodactyla - Equidae
Equus sp., Equus sp.4, "Equus scotti" = Equus mexicanus4, "Equus cf. scotti" = Equus mexicanus4
Equus sp. Linnaeus 1758 horse
Equus sp.4 Linnaeus 1758 horse
"Equus scotti" = Equus mexicanus4 Hibbard 1955 horse
"Equus cf. scotti" = Equus mexicanus4 Hibbard 1955 horse
 Artiodactyla - Antilocapridae
Stockoceros sp. Skinner 1942 pronghorn
Capromeryx sp. Matthew 1902 pronghorn
probably small antilocaprid of Mead et al. 2001
 Artiodactyla - Bovidae
Bison sp. Hamilton-Smith 1827 bison
 Artiodactyla - Cervidae
cf. Odocoileus sp. Rafinesque 1832 New World deer
two cervids reported by Mead et al. 2001
 Artiodactyla - Tayassuidae
cf. Platygonus sp. Leconte 1848 peccary
Platygonus compressus4 Leconte 1848 peccary
 Artiodactyla - Camelidae
Camelidae indet. Gray 1821 camel
two forms, one Camelops-sized and one Hemiauchenia-sized: one camelid reported by Mead et al. 2001
Palaeolama mirifica4 Simpson 1929 stout-legged llama
Camelops hesternus4 Leidy 1873 camel
 Carnivora - Procyonidae
Procyon sp. Storr 1780 raccoon
Procyon lotor4 Linnaeus 1758 raccoon
 Carnivora - Canidae
"Canis dirus" = Aenocyon dirus
"Canis dirus" = Aenocyon dirus Leidy 1858 dire wolf
 Carnivora - Felidae
Lynx rufus Schreber 1777 bobcat
Smilodon cf. fatalis4 Leidy 1868 saber-toothed cat
 Theriamorpha - Soricidae
Soricidae indet. Fischer 1814 shrew
 Lagomorpha - Leporidae
cf. Sylvilagus sp. Gray 1867 cottontail rabbit
leporid reported by Mead et al. 2001
 Rodentia - Caviidae
Hydrochoerus sp. Brisson 1762 capybara
"Hydrochaeris"
 Rodentia - Hydrochoeridae
Hydrochoeridae indet.1 Gill 1872 caviomorph
omitted by Mead et al. 2006
 Rodentia - Cricetidae
Sigmodon sp. Say and Ord 1825 cotton rat
Peromyscini indet. mouse
"Peromyscine"
Neotoma sp. Say and Ord 1825 pack rat
 Rodentia - Geomyidae
Geomyidae indet. Bonaparte 1845 pocket gopher
Reptilia
 Squamata -
Squamata indet. squamates
"lizards and snakes"
 Crocodylia - Crocodylidae
cf. Crocodylus acutus Cuvier 1807 American crocodile
Aves
 Podicipediformes - Podicipedidae
Podilymbus podiceps5 Linnaeus 1758 pied-billed grebe
Podiceps nigricollis Brehm 1831 black-necked grebe
 Strigiformes - Strigidae
"Strix brea" = Oraristrix brea
"Strix brea" = Oraristrix brea Howard 1933 Brea owl
 Gruiformes - Rallidae
Porphyrio martinicus Linnaeus 1766 purple gallinule
Porzana carolina Linnaeus 1758 sora
Fulica cf. americana Gmelin 1789 American coot
Gallinula chloropus5 Linnaeus 1758 Eurasian moorhen
 Passeriformes - Icteridae
Pandanaris convexa3 Miller 1947 cowbird
Quiscalus mexicanus3 Gmelin 1788 great-tailed grackle
Agelaius phoeniceus3 Linnaeus 1766 red-winged blackbird
Euphagus cyanocephalus3 Wagler 1829 Brewer's blackbird
Molothrus ater3 Boddaert 1783 brown-headed cowbird
Molothrus aeneus3 Wagler 1829 bronzed cowbird
Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus3 Bonaparte 1826 yellow-headed blackbird
Icterus spurius3 Linnaeus 1766 orchard oriole
 Anseriformes - Anatidae
Oxyura jamaicensis5 Gmelin 1789 Ruddy duck
"Anas strepera" = Mareca strepera5 Linnaeus 1758 gadwall
Anabernicula cf. oregonensis5 Howard 1964 dabbling duck
Anas sp. Linnaeus 1758 dabbling duck
16 as Anas platyrhynchos/diazi; 7 as Anas discors/cyanoptera; 6 as Anas sp. crecca/discors/cyanoptera
Anas crecca5 Linnaeus 1758 Eurasian teal
Anas acuta Linnaeus 1758 northern pintail
Aythya collaris5 Donovan 1809 ring-necked duck
Branta canadensis Linnaeus 1758 Canada goose
Anser sp. Linnaeus 1758 goose
"snow or white-fronted goose"
"Anas clypeata" = Spatula clypeata Linnaeus 1758 northern shoveler
 Galliformes - Odontophoridae
Callipepla douglasii5 Vigors 1829 elegant quail
 Suliformes - Phalacrocoracidae
Phalacrocorax auritus Lesson 1831 double-crested cormorant
 Pelecaniformes - Pelecanidae
"Pelecanus erythrorhynchus" = Pelecanus erythrorhynchos
"Pelecanus erythrorhynchus" = Pelecanus erythrorhynchos Gmelin 1789 American white pelican
 Pelecaniformes - Threskiornithidae
Plegadis cf. chihi5 Vieillot 1817 white-faced ibis
 Pelecaniformes - Ardeidae
Ardea herodias Linnaeus 1758 great blue heron
Ardea alba Linnaeus 1758 great egret
 Ciconiiformes - Ciconiidae
Ciconiidae indet. Sundevall 1836 stork
 Accipitriformes - Accipitridae
Aquila chrysaetos Linnaeus 1758 golden eagle
Buteogallus (Wetmoregyps) daggetti5 Miller 1915 black-hawks
"Unknown A: eagle"
Circus hudsonius Linnaeus 1766 Northern harrier
listed as Circus cyaneus but described as northern harrier
Ictinia sp. Vieillot 1816 kite
"undescribed species"
 Falconiformes - Falconidae
Caracara cheriway Jacquin 1784 crested caracara
Reptilia
 Testudinata -
Testudinata indet. Oppel 1811 turtle
Amphibia
 Salientia - Ranidae
Rana sp. Linnaeus 1758 frog
 Salientia - Hylidae
Hylidae indet. Rafinesque 1815 tree frog
 Salientia - Bufonidae
Bufo sp. Laurenti 1768 toad
Ostracoda
 Podocopida - Darwinulidae
Darwinula sp. Brady and Robertson 1885 ostracod
 Podocopida - Cyprididae
Physocypria sp. Vavra 1898 ostracod
 Podocopida - Candonidae
 Podocopida - Ilyocyprididae
Ilyocypris bradyi Sars 1890 ostracod
Bivalvia
 Cardiida - Sphaeriidae
Sphaeriidae indet. Deshayes 1855 clam
 Unionida - Unionidae
Unionidae indet. Rafinesque 1820 freshwater mussel
Gastropoda
 Pulmonata -
Pulmonata indet. Cuvier 1817 pulmonate
"Plumonata"
 Heterostropha - Planorbidae
Planorbidae indet. Rafinesque 1815 snail
 Charales - Characea
Chara sp. Linnaeus 1753 stonewort