A Pliocene fauna from Western Nebraska / by W.D. Matthew and Harold J. Cook.

  • Matthew, William Diller, 1871-1930.
Date:
1909
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: A Pliocene fauna from Western Nebraska / by W.D. Matthew and Harold J. Cook. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    hypsodont bovid teeth of appropriate size, but there are two upper jaws and a number of upper and lower teeth which do not agree with either Cervidse or Camelidre, and do agree quite nearly with some of the brachyodont ante- lopes. The correlation of these with the horn-core is of necessity provisional, but, if correct, indicates a type of antelope nearly related to the Pliocene Fig. 27. Neotragocerut cf. improvisus, upper molars, paratype, No. 14130. antelopes of the Old World, and retaining a primitive type of teeth and of horns which are not found together in any modern Bovidie. The short straight untwisted horns are retained in the Cephalophirfae, Caprime, etc., but always associated with long-crowned teeth; the short-crowned teeth are retained in the Hippotragime but associated with long, spirally twisted horns. ? Bovid, gen. indet. A few bones of the feet indicate a species considerably larger than Neotragocerus improvisus, and nearly equalling the musk-ox in size. They may belong to Palceomeryx, but appear to be too large for the teeth referred to that genus, and agree better in proportions with the larger antelopes. Bison sp. indesc. Part of a lower jaw, No. 14135, is unquestionably referable to this genus and differs from the modern American species and from B. occidental is, in the some\vhat simpler structure of the crescents, and larger, more com- pressed heel of m3. The petrifaction of this specimen is less complete than in practically all the specimens of the collection, although there are a few which, while certainly referable to Miocene or early Pliocene species, are in about the same stage of petrifaction as the bison jaw. There is no doubt as to its being taken from the same quarry and in the same level as a large number of characteristic specimens of the fauna described in these pages. But in view of the residual nature of the deposit, the possibility of accidental intermixture of specimens of later age must be kept in mind, and in absence of any confirmatory evidence we do not regard the presence of this Pleisto- cene genus in the Snake Creek fauna as satisfactorily proven.