NM: Roosevelt Co. Ca. 1280 M.
General Description.—For general description of area, etc., see Blackwater Loc. No. 1, above. Hester 1972: "The Brown Sand Wedge" is used several ways. By some usage, of four units (Haynes and Agogino 1966); this is followed here, with only units C0 and C1 considered here (units D1a and D1b considered correlated with the later Diatomite). The units contain Clovis cultural material associated with mammoth kills, etc.
Age.—11,170 ± 360 (A-481) (Haynes 1964). 11,040 ± 500 to 11,630 ± 400 BP (Hester 1972).
Paleoenvironment.—Slaughter 1975: Notes that Eastern Box Turtle today (all subspecies) within the >30" precipitation area. Also that the closest related subspecies today (major, of Gulf Coast) with more than 300 frost-free days. Attributes presence of D. bellus as indicating more moisture and "winters no more severe and probably somewhat milder" than today. Also notes (presumably after Mohlhendrich) that the hispid cotton rat's northern limit conforms to a line of average Jan. temperature of 35°F. Microtus pennsylvanicus at its southern limits is north of areas with normal daily maxima of 90°F and normal average July temperatures not exceeding 82°F. Slaughter (1975) shows a figure with current range of meadow vole and masked shrew in relation to temperature (approximate southern boundary by isotherm of >60 days with temperates higher than 60°F; area to north with July normal maximum daily temperatures 87°F). Suggests trees, at least in the valley itself, more effective moisture, and mild winters. Mean winter temperatures may have been little higher, but it is doubtful that severe cold fronts occurred.
Comments.— (1987) apparently follows (without comment) Harris' suggestion that the gray squirrel represented is Sciurus carolinensis. Slaughter (1975) states in that work that "Our modern climate must be more severe, as regards variation of temperature, than that which these areas have endured for many thousands of years."
Slaughter (1975) listed the squirrel from the Brown Sand Wedge as probably Sciurus arizonensis; Harris (1977b) noted the biogeographic improbability of this and suggested that Sciurus carolinensis would make better sense.
Publications.—(Graham 1987); Harris 1985; Haynes 1964; (*Hester 1972); Kurtén and Anderson 1980; *Slaughter 1964; (*Slaughter 1975).
Fauna.— Brown Sand Wedge Local Fauna.—
Rana pipiens
Terrapene carolina cf. T. c. putnami
Geochelone cf. G. wilsoni
Thamnophis sauritus
Thamnophis sirtalis
Lampropeltis cf. L. doliata
Heterodon cf. H. nasicus
Bison cf. antiquus
Canis lupus
Capromeryx sp.
Cynomys ludovicianus
Dasypus bellus
Didelphis virginianus
Equus niobrarensis
Geomys cf. bursarius
Lepus sp.
Mammuthus columbi
Mephitinae (small skunk)
Microtus cf. mexicanus
Microtus ochrogaster
Microtus pennsylvanicus
Neotoma sp.
Odocoileus hemionus
Ondatra zibethicus
Peromyscus cf. leucopus
Peromyscus cf. truei
Procyon lotor
Reithrodontomys cf. megalotis
Sciurus cf. arizonensis (Slaughter 1975) = Sciurus cf. carolinensis (Harris 1977b)
Sigmodon hispidus
Sorex cinereus
Ursus americanus
Vulpes cf. vulpes
