Vertebrate Fossils from the Rockshelter at the LoDaisKa Site[3]
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Vertebrate Fossils from the Rockshelter at the LoDaisKa Site[3]
By Edward Lewis
Cynthia and Henry Irwin excavated the rock shelter at the LoDaisKa Site on the Otto Sanger property by Strain Gulch near Morrison, Colorado 1956-1957. The vertebrate fossils were identified by the Upper Cenozoic Research Group: C. B. Schultz, T. M. Stout, and L. G. Tanner of the University of Nebraska, and Edward Lewis of the U.S. Geological Survey. Minor elements of the vertebrate fauna identified by them include 1 amphibian bone fragment, 2 lacertilian reptile vertebrae, and 16 bird bones and fragments of undetermined genera and species. All the other vertebrate remains were mammalian and include:
Lagomorphs, gen-sp. undet.
Lepus sp.†
Cynomys sp.†
Citellus sp.†
Tamias sp. or Eutamias sp.
?Thomomys sp.
Castor canadensis Kuhl
?Peromyscus sp.
Microtinae, gen. and sp. indet.
Canis sp.†
Mephitis sp.
Taxidea sp.†
?Felis (Puma) sp.
Cervus canadensis (Erxleben)†
Odocoileus sp.†
Odocoileus sp. cf. O. hemionus (Rafinesque)
?Bos taurus Linnaeus[4]
Bison bison (Linnaeus)†
Ovis canadensis Shaw
From one to seven individuals are represented by each of these names except Odocoileus, which accounts for the great majority of the specimens. We conclude that the people who were responsible for this deposit lived, while at this site, on a diet in which venison, probably from the Mule Deer (Odocoileus hemionus), predominated. There are surprisingly few Bison bones, and just one specimen each of “Elk” and Bighorn.
All of this fauna still lived in the same general area in historic times; it is a Recent fauna. The symbol (†) marks genera and species known to occur in the fauna of the Piney Creek alluvium (Hunt, 1954, p. 114-117).[5] These elements of the Piney Creek fauna have previously been reported from the nearby Denver area by Hunt (1954, p. 118), and have been identified by the Upper Cenozoic Research Group in the collections made by Scott[6] from the nearby Kassler area, and by Hunt[7] from the dark-colored, sandy and silty alluvium that occurs along Strain Gulch near the Sanger Site. It seems reasonable to believe that the age of the main deposit in the shelter, below the ceramic occupation layer, is approximately equivalent to the age of the dark-colored, sandy, silty alluvium and that of the Piney Creek alluvium.
Classification used in this report:
Animal Kingdom
Class Amphibia
Class Reptilia
Subclass Lepidosauria
Order Squamata
Suborder Lacertilia (lizards)
Class Aves
Subclass Neornithes
Superorder Neognathae (modern flying birds)
Class Mammalia
Subclass Theria
Infraclass Eutheria (placental mammals)
Order Lagomorpha (hares, rabbits, and pikas)
Lepus (hares and “jack” rabbits)
Order Rodentia (rodents)
Family Sciuridae (squirrels)
Cynomys (prairie “dog”)
Citellus (ground squirrel)
Tamias & Eutamias (chipmunks)
Family Geomyidae
Thomomys (pocket gopher)
Family Castoridae
Castor (beaver)
Family Cricetidae
Subfamily Cricetinae
Peromyscus (white-footed mouse)
Subfamily Microtinae (field mouse)
Order Carnivora
Family Canidae
Canis (dog, coyote, or wolf)
Family Mustelidae
Mephitis (skunk)
Taxidea (American badger)
Family Felidae
Felis (lynx, puma, etc.)
Order Artiodactyla
Family Cervidae
Cervus (elk)
Odocoileus (mule and white-tailed deer)
Family Bovidae
Bos (domestic cattle)
Bison
Ovis (bighorn sheep)