Fossil Lake

Fossil Lake

OR: Lake Co. 1310 m

General Description.—Kurtén and Anderson 1980: 1300 m according to them. Elftman 1931: 120° 30' W and 43° 20' N. To the southwest and separated by a slight elevation are Christmas Lake (5 mi. distant) and Silver Lake (25 mi. distant); all three names have been used for the fossil beds. During Pleistocene, a depth of over 100 ft., with all three lakes connected.

Elftman 1931: Collections at American Museum of Natural History, Univ. California at Berkeley, and at the Univ. of Oregon.

Age.—Probably mid or possibly early Wisconsinan (Allison 1966). Elftman 1931: Little previous agreement, with various authorities placing from Upper Pliocene to Later Pleistocene. However Elftman says his study confirms the Early Pleistocene date (based largely on percentage believed extinct— same criteria, he says the age approximates that of Rancho La Brea).

Paleoenvironment.—Kurtén and Anderson 1980: Climate probably more equable, with greater precipitation than today.

Comments.—Elftman 1931: A number of species of mammals, birds, and fish described by Cope (1878a, 1878c, 1883b, 1884b). Cope's last revision in 1889b; Matthew (1902) revised the mammals in Cope's list. Shufeldt published detailed descriptions of avifauna (1891, 1892) and Jordan (1907) described some fishes. L. Miller (1911) added birds as did later Shufeldt again (1913). Some specimens listed as from Christmas Lake probably actually from Fossil Lake (to the east of Christmas Lake); likewise, Button Spring may be a Fossil Lake locality— Packard (1952).

Publications.—*Allison 1966; Brodkorb 1963, 1964, 1967, 1978; Davis 1937; Elftman 1931; Harris 1985; Howard 1946; 1964b; Jehl 1967, 1969; Kurtén 1967, 1973; Kurtén and Anderson 1980; Packard 1952; Russell 1968; Shufeldt 1892; *Stock 1925.

Fauna.—

AVES

• Aechmophorus occidentalis lucasi Brodkorb, 1963;Jehl 1967
• Podiceps nigricollis
• Podiceps parvus Brodkorb 1963; Jehl 1967
• Podiceps caspicus Brodkorb, 1963
• Podilymbus podiceps Brodkorb, 1963; Jehl 1967
• Phalacrocorax macropus Brodkorb, 1963
• Phalacrocorax ? auritus Brodkorb, 1963
• Pelecanus erythrorhynchus Brodkorb, 1963
• Ardea herodias Brodkorb, 1963
• Botaurus lentiginosus Brodkorb, 1963
• Stork
• Phoenicopterus copei Brodkorb, 1963
• Olor buccinator Brodkorb, 1964; Jehl 1967 (as Cygnus)
• Stenelides
• Cygnus paloregonus Brodkorb, 1964
• Branta canadensis " ; Jehl 1967
• Branta bernicula
• Anser caerulescens Brodkorb 1964
• Goose, large
• Branta propinqua Brodkorb 1964
• Anser albifrons
• Chen rossi
• Anabernicula oregonensis Howard, 1964b:Brodkorb 1967
• Anas platyrhynchos Brodkorb 1964; Jehl 1967
• Anas acuta
• Anas crecca carolinensis
• Anas cyanoptera
• Anas americana
• Anas clypeata
• Aythya ? americana
• Aythya ? collaris
• Aythya affinis
• Aythya mania
• Bucephala albeola
• Clangula hyemalis
• Melanitta perspicillata
• Melanitta deglandi Jehl 1967
• Oxyura jamaicensis Brodkorb 1964; Jehl 1967
• Mergus merganser
• Mergus serrator (not listed by Brodkorb 1964)
• Hypomorphnus sodalis Brodkorb 1964
• Spizaetus pliogryps
• Aquila chrysaetos
• Haliaeetus leucocephalus
• Circus cyaneus
• Falco oregonus n. sp.
• Dendragapus lucasi Jehl 1969 (Dendragapus nanus syn. of D. lucasi— Jehl 1969)
• Pedioecetes phasianellus Brodkorb 1964
• Centrocercus urophasianus
• Dendragapus gilli Brodkorb 1964; Jehl 1967,1969
• Rallus limicola Brodkorb 1967
• Fulica shufeldti "; Jehl 1967 as F. americana shufeldti
• Numenius ? americanus
• Tringa melanoleucus Jehl 1967
• Erolia melanotos Jehl 1967
• Limnodromus ? griseus Brodkorb 1967
• Recurvirostra americana
• Himantopus mexicanus
• Lobipes lobatus
• Stercorarius shufeldti n. sp.
• Larus robustus
• Larus californicus
• Larus oregonus
• Larus philadelphia
• Sterna forsteri
• Chlidonias nigra
• Bubo virginianus Brodkorb 1971
• Colaptes auratus
• ?Corvus corax antecorax Shufeldt 1892— Brodkorb 1978
• Euphagus cyanocephalus ( Scolocophagus affinus of Shufeldt 1892) Howard 1946
• Sturnella neglecta Howard 1946
• ?Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus
• ?Agelaius phoeniceus Howard 1946
• ?Molothrus ater Howard 1946

• Glossotherium nr. harlani Elftman 1931
• Lepus sp. Elftman 1931
• Castor sp. (nr. canadensis) Elftman 1931
• Thomomys scudderi K∓A 1980; Elftman 1931 consider a synonym of townsendi, but Davis 1937 rejects and Russell 1968 follows latter: Russell 1968
• Thomomys vetus see comments for T. scudderi; Russell 1968
• Ondatra zibethicus 'I Elftman 1931
• Microtus montanus K∓A 1980; Elftman 1931
• Canis latrans Elftman 1931
• Canis cf. dirus
• Canis cf. lupus Elftman 1931
• Canis (distinctly smaller than coyote) K∓A 1980
• Vulpes sp. Elftman 1931
• Arctodus simus Kurten 1967
• Taxidea sp. Elftman 1931
• Panthera onca Kurten 1973
• Felis sp. minor Elftman 1931
• Mammuthus ? columbi Elftman 1931
• Equus pacificus
• Equu s sp. minor Elftman 1931
• Platygonus cf. vetus Elftman 1931; K∓A 1980
• Platygonus sp. minor
• ?Hemiauchenia sp.
• Camelops hesternus Elftman 1931
• Antilocapra cf. americana Elftman 1931

Last Update: 7 September 1998.