Class Mammalia
Order Artiodactyla
Suborder Ruminantia
Family Antilocapridae
Synonyms. Breameryx arizonensis.
Capromeryx is recognized in the Pleistocene Blancan of New Mexico by a partial calcaneum (Morgan et al. 2011). The larger size separates it from the late Pleistocene C. furcifer, and the only small antilocaprid known from the Southwestern late Blancan is this species (Morgan et al. 2011).
Sites.
Late Blancan: 111 Ranch (Morgan and White 2005); Caballo (Morgan et al. 2011: ?); Curtis Ranch (Morgan and White); San Simon Fauna (Morgan and White 2005).
Literature.
Morgan and White 2005; Morgan et al. 2011.
Synonyms. Capromeryx minor, Capromeryx mexicana, Capromeryx minimus, Breameryx minor.
Several species of Capromeryx have been described, but the two-pronged horn cores generally have been considered necessary for sure identification to species. Despite a number of recorded specimens, only three records from our region appear to be based on horn core material (Pendejo Cave, Shelter Cave, and Tramperos Creek, though Doolittle Cave has the base of a horn core). Lacking horn cores, most fossil elements have been assigned to the genus on the basis of size (see, for example, Fig. 2 of the Stockoceros account), but in the absence of horn cores, generally no determination of species has been made in the literature. However, White and Morgan (2011) considered, pending formal taxonomic revision, all Capromeryx with the anterior prong of the horn core less than 50% of the length of the posterior to be assignable to C. furcifer; this would include all Rancholabrean and probably all Irvingtonian specimens for which horn cores are available, indicating that likely all Pleistocene, post-Blancan Capromeryx are assignable to C. furcifer. Following this reasoning, all Capromeryx considered here are assigned to that species.
Fig. 1. Skeleton of Capromeryx furcifer, Rancho La Brea. Photograph by David Monniaux, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported
Fig. 2. Three views of the horn cores of Capromeryx furcifer. The small structure is the anterior prong; the dorsal end is missing. A straight groove or furrow runs up the posterior prong directly behind the anterior prong and another on the anteromedial side. Pendejo Cave specimen (9366.G.989.337.1). Scale in mm.
Fig. 3. Medial and lateral views of the left humerus of Capromeryx (5689-103-2) from U-Bar Cave. Scale in mm.
Fig. 4. Anterior and posterior views of the distal metacarpal of Capromeryx from U-Bar Cave (USNM 26872/11, b). Scale in mm.
Sites.
Pleistocene: Doolittle Cave (Cosgrove 1947); Perico Creek (Morgan and Lucas 2005).
Rancholabrean: Tramperos Creek (White and Morgan 2011).
Early/Early-Mid Wisconsin: Lost Valley (Harris 1993c); Rm Vanishing Floor (Harris 1993c); Sabertooth Camel Maze (Harris 1993c).
Mid Wisconsin: Pendejo Cave (Harris 2003); U-Bar Cave (Harris 1987).
Mid/Late Wisconsin: Animal Fair (Harris 1993c); Big Manhole Cave (this work); Hampton Court (Harris 1993c); Pit N&W Animal Fair (Harris 1993c).
Mid/Late Wisconsin/Holocene: Sierra Diablo Cave (UTEP).
Mid Wisconsin/Holocene: Shelter Cave (Stock 1932).
Late Wisconsin: Algerita Blossom Cave (Harris 1993c); Big Manhole Cave (UTEP); Blackwater Draw Fauna (Slaughter 1975); Dust Cave (Harris and Hearst 2012: cf.); Human Corridor (Harris 1993c); Muskox Cave (White and Morgan 2011); Pendejo Cave (Harris 2003); Sandia Cave (Thompson and Morgan 2001); Slaughter Canyon Cave (Morgan 2003); Stalag 17 (Harris 1993c: cf.); TT II (Harris 1993c: cf.); U-Bar Cave 14-15 ka (Harris 1989); U-Bar Cave 15-18 (Harris 1989: ?); U-Bar Cave 18-20 ka (Harris 1989); Ventana Cave (Mead et al. 2005).
Late Wisconsin/Holocene: Conkling Cavern (Conkling 1932); Fowlkes Cave (Dalquest and Stangl 1984b); Pendejo Cave (Harris 2003).
Changes.
Mid/Late Wisconsin: Dark Canyon Cave (Harris 1993c) re-identified as Stockoceros conklingi.
Late Wisconsin: Balcony Room (Harris 1993c: cf.) re-identified as Stockoceros conklingi.
Literature.
Conkling 1932; Cosgrove 1947; Dalquest and Stangl 1984b; Harris 1987, 1989, 1993c, 2003; Harris and Hearst 2012; Mead et al. 2005; Morgan 2003; Morgan and Lucas 2005; Slaughter 1975; Stock 1932; Thompson and Morgan 2001; White and Morgan 2011.
Last Update: 17 Mar 2013