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Tule Springs Region

NV: Clark Co

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Tule Springs Age. Rancholabrean, Mid/Late Wisconsin, and Late Wisconsin/Holocene. Springer et al. (2005) gave 14C dates for some fossiliferous units; B2, 190,000 to 118,000; D, <26,300 to 16,400; E1, 14,500 to 7,400 bp. Later work refined E to E1a, 16.1–15.0 ka cal BP and E1b, 14.6 and 14.3 ka (Scott and Springer 2016).

Discussion. The Tule Springs "site" consists of a number of fossil sites within the Las Vegas Formation in the vicinity of Las Vegas. The formation consists of a number of units and subunits, Unit A (oldest) to Unit G (Springer et al. 2010); fossils are known from units E1, E2, D, B2, and C (Springer et al. 2005, 2010).

Because of the age differences among the fossiliferous units, they are treated separately here. Extinct forms from Unit E1 are mapped in the taxon accounts as Late Wisconsin; extant forms as Late Wisconsin/Holocene. In addition to taxa assigned to units, a number of taxa have been mentioned as present but without designating the units in which they were present (e.g., Springer et al. 2005); these are presented separately and assumed to be Rancholabrean.

Taxa present but unit not specified; recorded as Rancholabrean

Anaxyrus sp.—American True Toads (Springer et al. 2005)

Bufo sp.

Hyla spp.—Large and Small species of Treefrogs (Springer et al. 2005)
Rana sp.—Brown Frogs (Springer et al. 2005)
Gopherus sp.—Tortoise (Springer et al. 2005)
Callisaurus draconoides—Zebra-tailed Lizard (Springer et al. 2005: cf.)
Phrynosoma sp.—Horned Lizards (Springer et al. 2005)
Sceloporus occidentalis—Western Spiny Lizard (Springer et al. 2005: cf.)
Arizona sp.—Glossy Snakes (Springer et al. 2005: cf. gen.)
Masticophis sp.—Coachwhips (Springer et al. 2005)
Anas americana—American Widgeon (Springer et al. 2005)

Mareca americana

Aythya collaris—Ring-necked Duck (Springer et al. 2005)
Mergus merganser—Common Merganser (Springer et al. 2005)
Bubo sp.—Bubo Owls (Springer et al. 2005)
Megalonyx jeffersonii—Jefferson's Ground Sloth (Springer et al. 2005)
Ammospermophilus leucurus—White-tailed Antelope Squirrel (Springer et al. 2005)
Marmota flaviventris—Yellow-bellied Marmot (Springer et al. 2005)
Chaetodipus/Perognathus—Spiny or Silky Pocket Mice (Springer et al. 2005)

Perognathus sp.

Neotoma lepida—Desert Woodrat (Springer et al. 2005: cf.)
Onychomys sp.—Grasshopper Mice (Springer et al. 2005)
Peromyscus maniculatus—Deer Mouse (Springer et al. 2005: cf.)
Lynx sp.—Bobcats (Springer et al. 2005: ?)
Puma concolor—Mountain Lion (Springer et al. 2005: cf. gen. et sp.)
Canis latrans—Coyote (Springer et al. 2005)
Taxidea taxus—American Badger (Springer et al. 2005)
Bison antiquus—Ancient Bison (Springer et al. 2005; cf.)

Unit E1, Late Wisconsin

Aythya affinis—Lesser Scaup (Mawby 1967)
Teratornis merriami—Merriam's Teratorn (Mawby 1967)
Fulica americana—American Coot (Mawby 1967)
Mammuthus columbi—Columbian Mammoth (Mawby 1967)
Megalonyx sp.—Megalonyx Sloths (Mawby 1967: ? gen.)
Dipodomys sp.—Kangaroo Rats (Mawby 1967)
Thomomys bottae—Botta's Pocket Gopher (Springer et al. 2005: ?)

Thomomys ? perpallidus

Microtus californicus—California Vole (Mawby 1967: cf.)
Ondatra zibethicus—Common Muskrat (Mawby 1967)
Brachylagus idahoensis—Pygmy Rabbit (Mawby 1967: ? gen. et sp.)
Lepus sp.—Jack Rabbits (Mawby 1967)
Sylvilagus sp.—Cottontails (Mawby 1967)
Puma sp.—Mountain Lions (Mawby 1967)
Smilodon fatalis—Sabertooth (Scott and Springer 2016)

E1a

Felis (Puma) sp.
Canis dirus.—Dire Wolf (Scott and Springer 2016)

E1b

Canis latrans—Coyote (Mawby 1967)
Equus sp. large—Large Horse (Mawby 1967)
Equus sp. small— (Mawby 1967)
Camelops hesternus—Yesterday's Camel (Mawby 1967)
Odocoileus sp.—Odocoiline Deer (Mawby 1967)
Tetrameryx sp.— (Mawby 1967: ? gen.)
Bison sp.—Bison (Springer et al. 2008)

Unit D, Mid/Late Wisconsin

Mammuthus columbi—Columbian Mammoth (Mawby 1967)
Camelops hesternus—Yesterday's Camel (Mawby 1967)

Unit B2, Rancholabrean

Mammuthus columbi—Columbian Mammoth (Mawby 1967)
Megalonyx sp.—Megalonyx Sloths (Mawby 1967)
Nothrotheriops shastensis—Shasta Ground Sloth (Mawby 1967)

Nothrotherium shastense

Microtus sp.—Voles (Mawby 1967)
Lepus sp.—Jack Rabbits (Mawby 1967)
Sylvilagus sp.—Cottontails (Mawby 1967: ?)
Felis/Lynx sp.—Small cat or bobcat (Mawby 1967: cf. gen.)
Panthera atrox—American Lion (Mawby 1967)
Equus sp. large—Large Horse (Mawby 1967)
Equus sp. small?— (Mawby 1967)
Camelops hesternus—Yesterday's Camel (Mawby 1967)
Bison antiquus—Ancient Bison (Springer et al. 2012: cf.)

Literature. Mawby 1967; Scott and Springer 2016; Springer et al. 2005, 2008, 2010, 2012.

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Last Update: 3 Oct 2016