NM: RIO ARRIBA CO. 2737 m.
General Description.—Rogers et al. 2000. Lava tube cave in Servilleta Basalt (dated at between 3.4 and 3.9 mya). Fifteen fossil localities have been identified within it. Dates of the fossil localities range from ca. 1 mya to less than 0.74 mya. The Brunhes-Matuyama paleomagnetic reversal is recorded. The fauna indicates warmer, more equable climates than today. Deep sea Oxygen Isotope Stages 22-18 glaciations were represented in the region by forests. The oldest record of Clethrionomys rutilus in North America is recorded.
Comments.—The cave is known as Cisneros Mine in official papers (fossiliferous sediments collected under a mining permit for more than 30 years).
Age.—Tight Spot, Pink Solid, Bot 4, and Under Arch localities are indicated as between ca. 1.3 mya and 0.85 mya by presence of Mictomys kansasensis and Allophaiomys. On the basis of a species of a species of Microtus (present in all but the Under Arch loc.) sites are unlikely to be older than the beginning of the Jaramillo event (1.0 mya). Relative age from old to young is Under Arch, Bot 4, Pink Solid, and Tight Spot. LB3 is indicated as 0.82-0.84 or 0.80-0.78 mya. LB6 is 0.78-0.74 mya. Thus LB7 to LB9 should be younger than 0.74 mya. The Kathy Pit locality is considered to be late Pleistocene or Holocene since it contains only modern fauna, though with a composition indicating that water was closer than today.
Publications.—Rogers et al. 2000.
| Taxon | Recent | Kathy's Pit | LB9 | LB8 | LB7 | LB6 | LB5 | LB4 | LB3 | LB2 | LB1 | Tight Spot | Pink Solid | Bot 4 | Under Arch |
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| CHIROPTERA |
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| sp. indet. |
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X |
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X |
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| CARNIVORA |
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| Canis sp. |
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X |
| Canis cf. C. latrans |
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X |
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| Canis rufus |
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X |
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| Lutra canadensis |
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X |
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| Mephitis mephitis |
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| Mustela erminea |
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X |
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| Spilogale putorius |
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X |
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| Taxidea taxus |
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X |
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| Vulpes vulpes |
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| INSECTIVORA |
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| Soricidae gen. et sp. indet. |
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X |
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| Sorex sp. |
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X |
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| LAGOMORPHA |
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| Leporidae gen. et sp. indet. |
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X |
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| Lepus sp. |
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| Lepus californicus |
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X |
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| Sylvilagus sp. |
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X |
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X |
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X |
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| RODENTIA |
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| CRICETIDAE |
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| Neotoma sp. | X |
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X | X |
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| Neotoma cinerea |
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| Peromyscus sp. | X | X |
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| Peromyscus cf. P. crinitus | X |
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X | X |
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| Reithrodontomys sp. | X | X |
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X |
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| Reithrodontomys megalotis |
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X | X |
Last Update:6 June 2005