Deadman Cave

Deadman Cave

AZ: Pima Co. 1400 M

General Description.—Mead et al., 1984: Medium-sized limestone cave at 1400 m (4600 ft) on NE side Santa Catalina Mts., Pima Co., AZ. Now in desert-grassland intermixed with lower boundary oak woodland; juniper thinly scattered. Entrance ca. 3 by 5 m. Bone area under a travertine layer in 2.4 m cemented rubble, penetrated by miner's shaft that allows access to a lower room; in latter, another travertine layer over fine carbonate silt.

Age.—Includes extinct Pleistocene fauna. ¹⁴C date of 6080 ± 250 BP, but for technical reasons, among others, considered too young— believe at least 2,000 y older. Suggest the faunal assemblage most likely dates between 12,000 and 8,000 BP.

Publications.—Mead et al. 1984.

Fauna.—

AMPHIBIA

Scaphiopus couchi
Scaphiopus cf. hammondi
Bufo cf. woodhousei
Bufo punctatus
Rana sp.

REPTILIA

Holbrookia maculata
Holbrookia texana
Callisaurus draconoides
Crotaphytus collaris
Sceloporus cf. clarki
Sceloporus cf. magister
Sceloporus cf. undulatus
Urosaurus ornatus
Phrynosoma douglasii
Phrynosoma modestum
Phrynosoma solare
Cnemidophorus sp.
Heloderma suspectum
Masticophis sp.
Salvadora sp.
Arizona elegans
Pituophis melanoleucus
Lampropeltis getulus
Rhinocheilus lecontei
Gyalopium canum
Trimorphodon biscutatus
Crotalus atrox
Crotalus scutulatus
Colinus gambeli

AVES

Colinus sp.
Cyrtonyx montezumae
Zenaida cf. macroura
Otus sp.
Micrathene whitneyi
Asio otus
Caprimulgidae
Colaptes auratus
Turdus cf. migratorius
Catharus guttatus
Icterinae (prob. extinct sp.)
Emberizinae

MAMMALIA

Notiosorex crawfordi
Cf. Myotis
Antrozous pallidus
Nothrotheriops shastensis
Sylvilagus sp.
Lepus sp.
Spermophilus variegatus
Perognathus cf. flavus
Dipodomys spectabilis
Reithrodontomys montanus
Peromyscus sp.
Sigmodon cf. arizonae
Neotoma albigula
Microtus sp.
Bassariscus astutus
Spilogale putorius [presumable = S. gracilis]
Mephitis macroura
Felis concolor
Equus sp.
Odocoileus sp.
Euceratherium collinum

Last Update: 6 September 1998.