The Sciuridae (Rodentia: Mammalia) of Cave Basin (Oregon), A New Middle Miocene Microfossil Locality
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Date
2016-07
Authors
Biedron, Eva Marie
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of Oregon
Abstract
Cave Basin is a Mid-Miocene vertebrate fossil site located on the South Fork of
the Crooked River, near Paulina in Central Oregon. In this basin, the Mascall Formation
is composed of tuffs, paleosols, diatomites, fluvial and lacustrine sediments, producing
floral, macrofaunal, and microfaunal vertebrate fossils. I describe seven genera of
squirrels from the Cave Basin fauna, including a new latest Hemingfordian boundary
species of Miospermophilus and the first record of Miopetaurista in the Miocene of
North America. The sediments and diverse community of terrestrial, arboreal, and semifossorial
squirrels found at Cave Basin indicate an environment supporting woodland,
marginal forest, and non-forest environments around a body/bodies of water with nonpermanent
boundaries. The Cave Basin assemblage provides a window into the
diversity of local environments and mammalian communities present during the MidMiocene
Climatic Optimum. Additionally, the Cave Basin sciurid assemblage is one of
the most diverse in Oregon and highlights the range of micromammal niches available
in mixed environments.
Description
69 pages. A thesis presented to the Department of Geological Sciences and the Clark Honors College of the University of Oregon in partial fulfillment of the requirements for degree of Bachelor of Science, Spring 2016.
Keywords
Geological Sciences, Geology, Rodentia, Sciuridae, Paleontology, Fossil squirrel, Fossil, Ecology, Oregon