Class Mammalia
Order Artiodactyla
Suborder Ruminantia
Family Bovidae
Oreamnos harringtoni is a smaller edition (ca. 66%) of mountain goat that differs in other aspects than size from the living Mountain Goat, O. americanus (Jass et al. 2000). The known distribution is largely within the Great Basin and Colorado Plateau, but extends to the southeast. The original report from Muskox Cave (Logan 1981) listed an undescribed mountain goat-like bovid. Further study (Jass et al. 2000) confirmed that the specimens represented O. harringtoni.
The U-Bar Cave specimens were examined by Jim I. Mead, with the radius (Fig. 1) identified as O. harringtoni and other elements tentatively assigned to the taxon.
A recent recovery from Sierra Diablo Cave appears to represent O. harringtoni (Fig. 2), lending support to queried identifications of fragmentary specimens acquired earlier. At present, it is unclear whether the stratigraphic level involved is late Wisconsin or mid Wisconsin in age.
Fig. 1. Posterior and anterior views of the proximal left radius of Oreamnos harringtoni from U-Bar Cave. Metric scale.
Fig 2. Three views of a left radius (UTEP 107-905) from Sierra Diablo Cave tentatively identified as Oreamnos harringtoni. Scale in mm.
Fig. 3. Posterior and anterior views of the first phalanx (left) and posterior
and lateral views of the second phalanx tentatively identified as those of Oreamnos
harringtoni. U-Bar Cave. Scale in mm.
Fig. 4. Proximal end of the radius of Oreamnos harringtoni from U-Bar Cave. Scale in mm.
Fiedel (2009) lists 11,490 ± 180 and 10,870 ± 200 BP as terminal dates for this extinct taxon.
Sites.
Rancholabrean: Bow Cave (Mead et al. 2005); Cylinder Cave (Mead et al. 2005).
Mid Wisconsin: CC:5:3 (Mead et al. 2003); CC:5:6 (Mead et al. 2003); Chuar Cave (Mead et al. 2005); Disappearing Cave (Mead et al. 2005); Muskox Cave (Jass et al. 2000); Rampart Cave (Kenworthy et al. 2004); U-Bar Cave (Harris 1993c).
Mid/Late Wisconsin/Holocene: Sierra Diablo Cave (this work).
Mid/Late Wisconsin: Bida Cave (Mead et al. 2005); CC:5:1 (Mead et al. 2003); CC:5:5 (Mead et al. 2003); Chuar Valley (Cole and Mead 1981: cf. gen.); Kaetan Cave (Mead et al. 2005); Nankoweap Canyon (Mead et al. 2005); Sandblast Cave (Emslie 1988); Vulture Cave (Mead et al. 2005).
Late Wisconsin: Bridge Cave (Mead et al. 2005); Midden Cave (Mead et al. 2005); Muav Caves (Mead et al. 2005); Rampart Cave (Kenworthy et al. 2004); Skylight Cave (Mead and Lawler 1995); Stanton's Cave (Harington 1984); Stevens Cave (Emslie 1988).
Literature.
Cole and Mead 1981; Fiedel 2009; Emslie 1988; Harington 1984; ; Harris 1993c; Jass et al. 2000; Kenworthy et al. 2004; Logan 1981; Mead and Lawler 1994; Mead et al. 2003; Mead et al. 2005.
Last Update: 18 Mar 2013