Age. Irvingtonian, based largely on faunal evidence (Croxen et al. 2007).
General Description. Croxen et al. (2007) describe the geography and geology at some length. The El Golfo local fauna of northwestern Sonora comes from a coastal strip of badland topography near the community of El Golfo de Santa Clara. About 255 km2 are exposed and consist of Colorado River deltaic deposits.
Discussion. In addition to the taxa listed below, there were several family-level identifications (Croxen et al. 2007): Ictaluridae (catfish), Istiophoridae (billfish), Iguanidae (iguanid lizards), Tetraonidae? (grouse), and Mephitidae ("genus of unidentified skunk"). Based largely on the recovered fauna, Croxen et al. (2007) hypothesized the presence of four ecological communities: freshwater aquatic, riparian gallery forest, shrub and brush woodland, and savannah-like grassland. They also suggested that tropical to subtropical climates may have predominated.
Fauna (all from Croxen et al. 2007 unless otherwise noted).
Osteichthyes
Xyrauchen sp.—Razorback Sucker
Ptychocheilus sp.—Pike-minnow
Amphibia
Incilius alvarius—Colorado River Toad
Bufo alvarius sp.
Lithobates sp.—North American True Frogs
Rana sp.
Chelonia
Trachemys scripta—Pond Slider Turtle
Kinosternon sp.—Mud Turtles (cf.)
Gopherus sp.—Tortoises (?)
†Hesperotestudo sp.—Hesperotestudo Tortoises
Reptilia
Constrictor constrictor—Boa Constrictor
Masticophis sp.—Coachwhip
Rhinocheilus lecontei—Long-nosed Snake
Crotalus sp.—Rattlesnakes
Aves
Phoenicopterus sp.—Flamingos
Anas sp.—Dabbling Ducks (cf.)
Chen sp.—Goose (?)
†Coragyps occidentalis—Western Black Vulture
Gymnogyps sp.—Condors
Grus sp.—Crane
Bubo sp.—Great Horned Owls
Mammalia
†Mammuthus meridionalis—Southern Mammoth (cf.)
†Cuvieronius sp.—Cuvier's Gomphothere
†Megalonyx wheatleyi—Wheatley's Ground Sloth
†Nothrotheriops texanus—Texas Ground Sloth
†Paramylodon harlani—Harlan's Ground Sloth
†Myrmecophaga tridactyla—Giant Anteater
Spermophile Ground Squirrel
Spermophilus sp.
Castor californicus—Kellogg's Beaver (cf.)
Dipodomys sp.—Kangaroo Rats
Geomys sp.—Eastern Pocket Gophers
Ondatra sp.—Muskrats (?)
Neotoma (Neotoma) sp.—Neotoma Woodrats
Neotoma (Hodomys) sp.—Hodomys Woodrats
†Sigmodon curtisi—Curtis Cotton Rat
Sigmodon sp.—Cotton Rats
Coendou kleini—Klein's Coendou (Sussman et al. 2016 (cf.)
†Neochoerus dichroplax—Capybaras
Lepus sp.—Jackrabbits
†Sylvilagus hibbardi—Hibbard's Rabbit
Sorex sp.—Long-tailed Shrews
†Felis rexroadensis—Rexroad Cat
Lynx sp.—Bobcats (cf.)
†Homotherium sp.—Scimitar Cat
†Miracinonyx inexpectatus—Cheetah-like Cat
Panthera onca—Jaguar (cf.)
†Chasmaporthetes ossifragus—American Hyaena
†Canis lepophagus—Johnston's Coyote
†Canis edwardii—Edward's Wolf
Urocyon sp.—Gray Foxes (cf.)
†Tremarctos floridanus—Florida Spectacled Bear
Taxidea sp.—Badgers
†Equus sp.—Giant Horse
†Equus (Plesippus) sp.—Zebra-like Horse
†Equus conversidens—Mexican Horse (cf.)
†Equus scotti—Scott's Horse (aff.)
†Tapirus californicus—California Tapir (cf.)
†Tapirus haysii—Hay's Tapir (cf.)
†Platygonus vetus—Leidy's Peccary (cf.)
†Camelops sp.—Yesterday's Camels
†Gigantocamelus/Titanotylopus sp.—Giant Camels
†Hemiauchenia blancoensis—Blanco Llama (cf.)
†Hemiauchenia gracilis—Gracile Llama
†Hemiauchenia sp. (small)—Long-legged Small Llama
†Palaeolama sp.—Stout-legged Llamas
†Navahoceros sp.—Mountain Deer (cf.)
Odocoileus hemionus—Mule Deer (?)
Odocoileus virginianus—White-tailed Deer
†Capromeryx furcifer—Matthew's Pronghorn
†Stockoceros sp.—Four-horned Pronghorn
Tetrameryx (Stockoceros) sp.
†Gen. et sp. nov.—Four-horned Pronghorn
Ovis sp. nov.—Mountain Sheep
Literature. Brattstrom 1955; Gazin 1942; Kurtén and Anderson 1980; Lindsay 1984; Morgan and White 2005; Sussman et al. 2016; Wetmore 1924.
Last Update: 3 Oct 2016