Orange County, Florida paleontological sites
The Orange County paleontological sites are assemblages of Late Pleistocene vertebrates occurring in Orange County, Florida.
Age[edit]
Era: Neogene
Period: Pleistocene
Faunal stage: Rancholabrean 126,000—11,000 years ago, calculates to a period of approximately 0.115 million years.
Sites[edit]
- Rock Spring site (Pleistocene). Time period: ~126,000—11,000 thousand years ago. Specimens were collected by H. J. Gut, J. Mann, J. Todd, G. Lintner, circa 1939.[1] The site was recorded as bone-bearing argillaceous sandstone overlaying Ocala Limestone containing macrofossils. "The bones are well mineralized, and most are unworn; frequent occurrence in association of bones from what appear to be the same individual indicates that the material has not been reworked." (Glen E. Woolfenden 1959).[2][3][4]
Coordinates: 28°42′N 81°30′W / 28.7°N 81.5°W
Specimens[edit]
Birds[edit]
- Meleagris gallopavo (wild turkey)
- Mergus serrator (red-breasted merganser)
- Anas fulvigula (mottled duck)
- Anas crecca carolinensis (green-winged teal)
- Anas discors (blue-winged teal)
- Anas acuta (northern pintail duck)
- Aix sponsa (wood duck)
- Aythya collaris (ring-necked duck)
- Aythya affinis (lesser scaup duck)
- Gavia immer (great northern loon)
- Podiceps auritus (horned grebe)
- Podilymbus podiceps (pied-billed grebe)
- Nannopterum auritum (double-crested cormorant)
- Anhinga anhinga (snakebird)
- Ciconia maltha (extinct stork)
- Ajaia ajaja (roseate spoonbill)
- Botaurus lentiginosus (American bittern)
- Ardea herodias (great blue heron)
- Ardea alba (great egret)
- Nycticorax nycticorax (black-crowned night heron)
- Aramus guarauna (limpkin)
- Grus canadensis (sandhill crane)
- Fulica minor (coot)
- Limnodromus scolopaceus (long-billed dowitcher)
- Gallinula galeata (common gallinule)
- Larus (gull)
- Pandion haliaetus (osprey)
- Buteo jamaicensis (red-tailed hawk)
- Haliaetus leucocephalus (sea eagle)
- Strix varia (barred owl)
- Ectopistes migratorius (passenger pigeon)
- Megaceryle alcyon (belted kingfisher)
- Dendrocopos borealis (a woodpecker)
- Corvus ossifragus (fish crow)
- Cardinalis cardinalis (northern cardinal)
Mammals[edit]
- Paramylodon (ground sloth)
- Dasypus bellus (armadillo)
- Holmesina septentrionalis (armadillo-like Cingulata)
- Trichechus manatus Linnaeus (sea cow)
- Mammuthus (mammoth)
- Mammut americanum (American mastodon)
- Tapirus veroensis (tapir)
- Equus (horse)
- Mormoops megalophylla (bat)
- Myotis austroriparius (bat)
- Tremarctos floridanus (Florida cave bear)
- Ursus americanus (American black bear)
- Procyon lotor (raccoon)
- Aenocyon dirus (dire wolf)
- Urocyon cinereoargenteus (gray fox)
- Leopardus amnicola (margay)
- Puma concolor (puma)
- Mylohyus nasutus (peccary)
- Platygonus compressus Leconte (peccary)
- Odocoileus virginianus (deer)
- Bison (bison)
- Tursiops (bottlenose dolphin)
- Palaeolama mirifica (camel)
- Blarina carolinensis (shrew)
- Sylvilagus (rabbit)
- Thomomys orientalis (gopher)
- Geomys pinetis (pocket gopher)
- Castor (North American beaver)
- Reithrodontomys (harvest mouse)[5]
Further reading[edit]
- Kathryn A. Hoppe1, Paul L. Koch, Richard W. Carlson and S. David Webb, Tracking mammoths and mastodons: Reconstruction of migratory behavior using strontium isotope ratios.[1]
References[edit]
- ^ S. D. Webb. 1974. Chronology of Florida Pleistocene mammals. In S. D. Webb (ed.), Pleistocene Mammals of Florida 5-31
- ^ Paleobiology Database : Rock Springs Collection
- ^ A Pleistocene Avifauna from Rock Spring, Florida, Glen E. Woolfenden
- ^ Glen E. Woolfenden, Professor Emeritus at the University of South Florida
- ^ Ruez Jr., Dennis (Summer 2000). "LATE PLEISTOCENE (RANCHOLABREAN) RECORDS OF THE HARVEST MOUSE (REITHRODONTOMYS) IN FLORIDA". Florida Scientist. 63 (3). Florida Academy of Sciences Inc. Retrieved 20 February 2021.