New Fossil Mammals Found at Florissant Fossil Beds NM by Emmett Evanoff and Peter M

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New Fossil Mammals Found at Florissant Fossil Beds NM By Emmett Evanoff and Peter M. de Toledo New discoveries of fossil mammals in A orissant Fossil Beds National Monument (NM) indicate that the Aorissant Formation is late Eocene in age, and correlates with the Chadrom Formation in Badlands NP. Fossil mammals are rare in the Aorissant Formation and have been somewhat ambig uous age indicators. Previous to the recent discoveries, mammals from the Aorissant Formation have included oreodons (Merycoid.odon), a horse (Mesohippus), a mouse opossum (Peratheriwn), and an uni dentified rhinoceros. Of these specimens, only the mouse opossum (Peratheriwn near P. huntii (Cope)) has been described in detail (Gasin, 1935). These mammals indicate a ChadronianorOrcilan1 orthAmericanLand Mammal Age for the formation. The Figure I . Reconstruction of the skeletons of a Chadron ian and Orellan are now considered brontothere and the horse, Mesohippus, showing the bone elements found in the summer to be latest Eocene and earliest Oligocene of 1992 (arrows) at Florissant Fossil Beds National MonumenL Also shown is a mouse age, respectively. opossum in the bush (open arrow). The skeletons are drawn to the same scale, with the In June and July of 1992, a field crew from bush representing a height of 1 meter. the University of Colorado Museum found fossil mammal bones, including a piece of a The co-occurrence of a brontothere, paleoenvironmental data provided by the neck vertebra ::-om a large brontothere, a Mesohippus, and Merycoidodon indicates plant and insect fossils. lower jaw of a Mesohippus (Fig. 1), bone that the Aorissant Formation was deposited fragments from an oreodon-sized animal, EvanoffanddeTo/edoarewilhthe University at the same time as the Chadron Formation ofColoradoMuseum,Boulder,C0,80309-0315. and bone fragments and isolated teeth from of Badlands NP. The Aorissant vertebrate a small artiodactyl. These fossils occurred in fauna also include fossils of fish and birds, Literature Cited sandstones lateral to the main lake shales and and together they may supplement Gazin, C.L., 1935. A marsupial from the Fhrissant beds fluvial mudstones below the level ofth e fossil (Tertiary) of Coloracb: .hLmal of Paleontology, v.9, p 57· stumps. 62. .

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