Calf Creek (Eocene of Canada)

Also known as SMNH Locality 6; SMNH 72F10-0001; ROM V-37-44; NMC Localities 115 and 117; Bone Coulee; "Cypress Hills" in part; Hunter Quarry

Where: Saskatchewan, Canada (49.6° N, 109.9° W: paleocoordinates 51.3° N, 100.5° W)

• coordinate based on nearby landmark

• outcrop-level geographic resolution

When: Cypress Hills Formation, Chadronian (37.2 - 33.9 Ma)

Environment/lithology: terrestrial; lithology not reported

Size classes: macrofossils, mesofossils

Reposited in the NMC

Primary reference: J. E. Storer. 1996. Eocene-Oligocene faunas of the Cypress Hills Formation, Saskatchewan. In D. R. Prothero and R. J. Emry (eds.), The Terrestrial Eocene-Oligocene Transition in North America 240-261 [J. Alroy/J. Alroy/J. Marcot]more details

Purpose of describing collection: general faunal/floral analysis

PaleoDB collection 16919: authorized by John Alroy, entered by John Alroy on 18.02.1993, edited by Robin Whatley, Jonathan Marcot, Patricia Holroyd and Evangelos Vlachos

Creative Commons license: CC BY (attribution)

Taxonomic list

• unquestioned Chadronian localities include 72F10-0001 (Calf Creek Screening Locality)
"Mesohippus stenolophus" of Russell 1975 is from Hemingfordian localities: Storer and Bryant 1993

"Mesohippus assiniboiensis" of Russell 1975 is from Whitneyan localities: Storer and Bryant 1993
"Trigonias cf. yoderensis" of Kihm 1987 includes T. sp. C; however, the latter belongs to Penetrigonias sagittatus; see Hanson 1989

"Chadrolagus sp." is not present: see Storer 1981b
unclassified
  -
Testudinae indet.4
may be Stylemys or Geochelone or both
Amphibia
 Salientia - Hylidae
Hyla swanstoni4 tree frog
 Salientia - Pelobatidae
Scaphiopus skinneri4 spadefoot toad
 Salientia - Rhinophrynidae
Rhinophrynus canadensis n. sp.3 Holman 1963 burrowing toad
 Caudata - Urodela
Ambystoma tiheni4 Holman 1968 mole salamander
Mammalia
 Multituberculata - Neoplagiaulacidae
Ectypodus lovei Sloan 1966 multituberculate
see Storer 1993: "E. sp." of Krishtalka et al. 1982: "E. lovei"; SMNH 6
 Rodentia - Ischyromyidae
Ischyromyidae indet. Alston 1876 rodent
Leptotomus guildayi Black 1971 rodent
see Storer 1978: "Prosciurus major"
Ischyromys junctus Russell 1972 rodent
see Storer 1978: based on Heaton 1996, this is "Titanotheriomys sp." small of Heaton 1993 from "Cypress Hills"
 Rodentia - Aplodontidae
Prosciurus vetustus Matthew 1903 mountain beaver
see Storer 1978
 Rodentia - Sciuridae
Douglassciurus jeffersoni1 Douglass 1902 squirrel
 Rodentia - Heliscomyidae
Heliscomys ostranderi Korth et al. 1991 rodent
described as "H. cf. vetus" by Storer 1978
 Rodentia - Eomyidae
Eomyidae indet. Winge 1887 rodent
Adjidaumo minimus Matthew 1903 rodent
see Storer 1978
Cupressimus barbarae Storer 1978 rodent
see Storer 1978
Yoderimys stewarti Russell 1972 rodent
see Storer 1978
Aulolithomys bounites Black 1965 rodent
see Storer 1978
Paradjidaumo hansonorum Russell 1972 rodent
see Storer 1978
 Rodentia - Eutypomyidae
Eutypomys parvus Lambe 1908 rodent
see Storer 1978: according to Wood 1980, includes "Castoridae indet."
 Rodentia - Castoridae
? Castoridae indet. Gray 1821 beaver
 Rodentia - Cylindrodontidae
Cylindrodon collinus Russell 1972 rodent
see Storer 1978: type; includes "Prosciurus altidens" according to Storer 1978 and Emry and Korth 1996a, although it is resurrected by Wood 1980
Pseudocylindrodon neglectus Burke 1935 rodent
see Storer 1978
"Sciurus ? saskatchewaensis" = Ardynomys saskatchewaensis9 Lambe 1908 rodent
"saskatchewensis": see Storer 1978; type
 Lagomorpha - Leporidae
Palaeolagus temnodon Douglass 1902 rabbit
see Storer 1981b
Megalagus brachyodon Matthew 1903 rabbit
see Storer 1981b
 Theriamorpha - Soricidae
Domnina sp. Cope 1873 shrew
see also Korth 1994, who also identifies an indeterminate soricid based on one of two indeterminate "didelphid" specimens of Russell 1984
 Theriamorpha - Geolabididae
Centetodon cf. magnus Clark 1936 placental
see Russell 1972
 Theriamorpha - Oligoryctidae
Oligoryctes sp. Hough 1956 placental
 Theriamorpha - Micropternodontidae
Cryptoryctes sp. Reed 1954 placental
Micropternodus sp. Matthew 1903 placental
 Theriamorpha - Apternodontidae
Apternodus sp. Matthew 1903 placental
 Placentalia -
Chiroptera indet.7 Blumenbach 1779 bat
a bat; one of two indeterminate "didelphid" specimens of Russell 1984; not mentioned by Storer DUPLICATE REF 2121 or 2122 or 2123
 Chiroptera - Molossidae
Wallia sp. Storer 1984 free-tailed bat
 Perissodactyla - Brontotheriidae
Brontotheriidae indet.1 Marsh 1873 brontothere
Megacerops kuwagatarhinus10 Mader and Alexander 1995 brontothere
 Perissodactyla - Rhinocerotidae
"Aceratherium exiguum n. sp." = Subhyracodon occidentalis9 Leidy 1850 rhinoceros
Trigonias osborni Lucas 1900 rhinoceros
see Russell 1982; probably includes his species A, B, and D
Penetrigonias sagittatus Russell 1982 rhinoceros
see Russell 1982: probably includes "? Caenopus sp." of Russell 1982
 Perissodactyla -
Toxotherium hunteri Wood 1961 odd-toed ungulate
 Perissodactyla - Hyracodontidae
Hyracodon priscidens Lambe 1905 odd-toed ungulate
see Russell 1982, Prothero 1996e
 Perissodactyla - Tapiridae
Colodon occidentalis Leidy 1868 tapir
 Perissodactyla - Equidae
Mesohippus westoni Cope 1889 anchitheriine horse
see Russell 1975: at 72F10-0001, see Storer and Bryant 1993
Mesohippus propinquus Lambe 1905 anchitheriine horse
see Russell 1975: at 72F10-0001, see Storer and Bryant 1993
Miohippus grandis Clark and Beerbower 1967 anchitheriine horse
see Storer and Bryant 1993: 72F10-0001
 Artiodactyla - Camelidae
Poebrotherium sp. Leidy 1847 camel
 Artiodactyla - Entelodontidae
Archaeotherium coarctatum Cope 1889 even-toed ungulate
see Russell 1980
 Artiodactyla - Anthracotheriidae
Anthracotherium ? pygmaeum9 Lambe 1908 anthracothere
Bothriodon advena n. sp.11 Russell 1978 anthracothere
 Artiodactyla - Leptochoeridae
Stibarus montanus Matthew 1903 even-toed ungulate
 Artiodactyla - Oromerycidae
Malaquiferus sp. Gazin 1955 even-toed ungulate
Eotylopus cf. reedi Matthew 1910 even-toed ungulate
 Artiodactyla - Protoceratidae
Trigenicus profectus Matthew 1903 protoceratid
 Artiodactyla - Agriochoeridae
Agriochoerus sp. Leidy 1850 agriochoerid
 Artiodactyla - Leptomerycidae
"Hendryomeryx esulcatus" = Leptomeryx esulcatus, "Leptomeryx" mammifer, "Pseudoprotoceras semicinctus" = Leptomeryx semicinctus, Leptomeryx speciosus n. sp.9
"Hendryomeryx esulcatus" = Leptomeryx esulcatus Cope 1889 ruminant
see Storer 1981a
"Leptomeryx" mammifer Cope 1885 ruminant
see Storer 1981a
"Pseudoprotoceras semicinctus" = Leptomeryx semicinctus Cope 1889 ruminant
see Emry and Storer 1981: Hunter Quarry and "Calf Creek"
Leptomeryx speciosus n. sp.9 Lambe 1908 ruminant
see Storer 1981a
 Artiodactyla - Merycoidodontidae
"Merycoidodon culbertsoni" = Merycoidodon culbertsonii1, Bathygenys sp.
"Merycoidodon culbertsoni" = Merycoidodon culbertsonii1 Leidy 1848 oreodont
Bathygenys sp. Douglass 1902 oreodont
 Creodonta - Hyainailouridae
Hemipsalodon grandis Cope 1885 creodont
see Russell 1972
 Creodonta - Hyaenodontidae
Hyaenodon sp.2 Laizer and Parieu 1838 creodont
? Hyaenodon horridus Leidy 1853 creodont
see Russell 1972: includes "Hyaenodon cruentus"
Hyaenodon microdon Mellett 1977 creodont
see Bryant 1993
 Carnivora - Nimravidae
? Dinictis sp. Leidy 1854 false sabre-tooth
also listed by Bryant 1993 from SMNH 72F10-0001, but Russell 1972 lists D. felina
? Hoplophoneus sp. Cope 1874 false sabre-tooth
see Bryant 1993
 Carnivora - Amphicyonidae
Daphoenus sp., "Daphoenocyon dodgei" = Brachyrhynchocyon dodgei, Daphoenictis tedfordi n. gen. n. sp.5
Daphoenus sp. Leidy 1853 bear-dog
seems to include both D. lambei and D. cf. hartshornianus of Russell 1972; Bryant 1993 doesn't comment
"Daphoenocyon dodgei" = Brachyrhynchocyon dodgei Scott 1898 bear-dog
includes "Daphoenus canadensis" of Russell 1972; presumably includes "? Daphoenocyon sp." of Russell 1972
Daphoenictis tedfordi n. gen. n. sp.5 Hunt 1974 bear-dog
Cypress Hills Locality 133; includes specimen of "Daphoenus cf. vetus" and one of several Hesperocyon gregarius specimens; not clear why this is omitted by Storer 1996
 Carnivora - Ursidae
Parictis parvus Clark and Beerbower 1967 bear
see Bryant 1993: may include "P. sp." of Bryant 1992, but a second P. sp. is said to be present and is referred to "Subparictis" sp. by Baskin and Tedford 1996
 Carnivora - Canidae
Canidae indet. Fischer de Waldheim 1817 canid
Hesperocyon gregarius Cope 1873 canid
see Russell 1972: includes "Alloeodectes mcgrewi" of Russell 1984 according to Bryant 1991, Wang 1994; also includes cf. "Hyaenodon minutus" according to Bryant 1993
 Theriamorpha - Epoicotheriidae
Epoicotherium sp. Simpson 1927 placental
 Macroscelidea - Amphilemuridae
? Ankylodon sp. Patterson and McGrew 1937 elephant shrew
 Cimolesta - Apatemyidae
? Apatemys sp. Marsh 1872 eutherian
Sinclairella sp. Jepsen 1934 eutherian
 Theriamorpha - Herpetotheriidae
Copedelphys titanelix, "Didelphys valens n. sp." = Herpetotherium valens9
Copedelphys titanelix Matthew 1903 marsupial
see Korth 1994: "cf. Nanodelphys minutus" of Russell 1984
"Didelphys valens n. sp." = Herpetotherium valens9 Lambe 1908 marsupial
see Russell 1984; at SMNH 72F10-0001, see Eberle and Storer 1995
 Theriamorpha - Peradectidae
Didelphidectes pumilis Hough 1961 marsupial
"pumilus": see also Eberle and Storer 1995
Reptilia
 Testudines - Emydidae
cf. Emydidae indet.4 Rafinesque 1815 turtle
 Testudines - Testudinidae
Testudinidae indet.12 Batsch 1788 turtle
may be Stylemys or Geochelone or both
Testudo exornata n. sp.8 Lambe 1906 turtle
costal plates
 Testudines - Trionychidae
"Trionyx leucopotamicus" = Trionyx leucopotamicus4, "Apalone leucopotamica" = Trionyx leucopotamicus6
"Trionyx leucopotamicus" = Trionyx leucopotamicus4 Cope 1891 softshell turtle
"Apalone leucopotamica" = Trionyx leucopotamicus6 Cope 1891 softshell turtle
 Squamata - Boidae
Calamagras weigeli n. sp.4 Holman 1972 dwarf boa
 Squamata - Loxocemidae
cf. Ogmophis sp.4 Cope 1844 Mexican burrowing snake
vertebral fragments
Ogmophis compactus4 Lambe 1908 Mexican burrowing snake
 Squamata - Xantusiidae
Palaeoxantusia borealis n. sp.4 Holman 1972 night lizard
 Squamata - Amphisbaenidae
Amphisbaenidae indet.4 worm lizard
all vertebrae
 Squamata - Rhineuridae
Lestophis sp.4 Marsh 1885 worm lizard
all vertebrae
 Squamata - Iguanidae
Cypressaurus hypsodontus n. gen. n. sp.4
Cypressaurus hypsodontus n. gen. n. sp.4 Holman 1972 squamates
from screening locality
 Squamata - Tropiduridae
Crotaphytus oligocenicus n. sp.4 Holman 1972 ground lizard
 Squamata -
cf. Peltosaurus sp.4 Cope 1873 squamates
 Crocodylia - Crocodylidae
"Crocodilidae indet." = Crocodylidae4
"Crocodilidae indet." = Crocodylidae4 Cuvier 1807 crocodile