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Scimitar Cat ( Homotherium Serum Cope) from Southwestern Alberta, Canada

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Scimitar Cat ( Homotherium Serum Cope) from Southwestern Alberta, Canada Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences Scimitar Cat ( Homotherium serum Cope) from Southwestern Alberta, Canada Journal: Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences Manuscript ID cjes-2017-0130.R1 Manuscript Type: Article Date Submitted by the Author: 10-Aug-2017 Complete List of Authors: Ewald, Tatyanna; University of Calgary, Department of Anthropology and Archaeology Hills, Len; The University of Calgary, Department of Geoscience Tolman, Shayne;Draft Independent Kooyman, Brian; University of Calgary , Department of Anthropology and Archaeology Is the invited manuscript for consideration in a Special N/A Issue? : <i>Homotherium serum </i>, Homotheriini, Dentition, Wally's Beach, Keyword: Pleistocene https://mc06.manuscriptcentral.com/cjes-pubs Page 1 of 34 Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences 1 Scimitar Cat ( Homotherium serum Cope) from 2 Southwestern Alberta, Canada 3 Tatyanna Ewald, L.V. Hills*, Shayne Tolman, and Brian Kooyman 4 *Deceased 5 T. Ewald. (email: [email protected]) Department of Anthropology and Archaeology, 6 University of Calgary, 2500 University Dr. NW, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada. 7 L.V Hills. * Department of Geoscience, University of Calgary , 2500 University Dr. N.W., 8 Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada 9 S. Tolman. (email: [email protected]) Box 1146, Cardston, AB TOK 0Y0, Canada. 10 B. Kooyman. (email: [email protected]) Department of Anthropology and Archaeology, 11 University of Calgary, 2500 University Dr. NW, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada. 12 Corresponding author: Draft 13 Tatyanna Ewald 14 Email: [email protected] 15 Phone: 1-403-827-2245 16 Fax: 1-403-284-5467 17 Address: Department of Anthropology and Archaeology 18 2500 University Drive NW 19 T2N 1N4 20 Canada 21 *Deceased. 1 https://mc06.manuscriptcentral.com/cjes-pubs Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences Page 2 of 34 22 Abstract 23 Skull and tooth fragments of Homotherium serum recently recovered from the Wally’s Beach 24 site (DhPg-8) in southwestern Alberta provide the first indications that scimitar cat populated the 25 area of the St. Mary Reservoir. AMS radiocarbon dating provides a 2 sigma range calibrated age 26 of Cal BP 12 715 to 12 655. This is the fourth known occurrence of the species in Canada, the 27 first outside of Yukon, and is currently the youngest precisely dated occurrence of the species in 28 North America. Well-preserved dentition combined with the temporal and geographic context 29 allows the sample to be identified as Homotherium serum . The specimen is significant as it 30 represents an extension of the geographic and chronological range of the species. 31 Keywords Draft 32 Homotherium serum , Homotheriini, Dentition, Wally’s Beach, Pleistocene 2 https://mc06.manuscriptcentral.com/cjes-pubs Page 3 of 34 Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences 33 Introduction 34 The Wally’s Beach site, near Cardston in southwestern Alberta, consists of a series of 35 Late Pleistocene paleontological and archaeological remains which were exposed by erosion 36 associated with the operation of the St. Mary Reservoir (Hills et al. 2014; Kooyman et al. 2012; 37 Waters et al. 2015). Species present include Equus conversidens , Camelops hesternus , 38 Bootherium bombifrons , Rangifer tarandus , and Bison antiquus among others. A number of 39 species are also represented by preserved tracks, including Mammuthus (McNeil et al. 40 2005:1255). Recently, skull and tooth fragments of an individual scimitar cat, Homotherium 41 serum, were discovered. The purpose of this paper is to describe and illustrate this specimen, and 42 to discuss its location and date in relationDraft to other known occurrences of the species. 43 Geological Setting and Context 44 The Wally’s Beach site (also known by its Borden designation DhPg-8) is located in 45 southwestern Alberta near the town of Cardston (Fig. 1), in the drawdown zone of the St. Mary 46 Reservoir (Hills et al. 2014). While the H. serum remains are paleontological, the Wally’s Beach 47 site is predominately an archaeological site and is therefore defined by the Borden system. The 48 Borden system divides Canada into a series of small blocks inside larger blocks based on latitude 49 and longitude. The capital letters in the Borden designation identify the large block, while the 50 lower-case letters denote the small block to which the site belongs. Each archaeological site is 51 then designated sequentially within these blocks (Borden 1954). 52 Cranial remains of H. serum were discovered in-situ, within a 16-18cm radius. The 53 location consists of Late Pleistocene loess and eolian sands, upon which a Holocene paleosol 54 developed (Hills et al. 2014:25) The specimen was recovered from the very top portion of the 3 https://mc06.manuscriptcentral.com/cjes-pubs Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences Page 4 of 34 55 Pleistocene sediments, embedded in the carbonate horizon that resulted from the development of 56 the overlying paleosol. The enamel layer of one of the canines shows extensive fibrous root 57 etchings on the surface (Fig. 2). This suggests that this tooth was incorporated in the soil horizon 58 while it was actively forming, before the soil’s final burial. 59 A bone sample from the skull provides an AMS (Beta 440230) 2 sigma range calibrated 60 age of Cal BP 12 715 to 12 655 (conventional age of BP 10 740 ±40). This date was calibrated 61 using IntCal13. The CN (carbon:nitrogen) ratio of +3.3 is within the normal range expected for 62 live protein, therefore the collagen was well-preserved (the δ13C value of -19.3 o/oo and δ15N 63 value of +6.6 o/oo are also both within the normal range expected for live protein). This date 64 places the specimen in the Late Pleistocene and makes it the youngest dated specimen of 65 Homotherium serum in Canada. Draft 66 Materials and Methods 67 The following description is based on fragments of five incisors, two upper canines, the 68 left lower canine, the upper fourth premolar, the lower first molar, and an unidentifiable root 69 (Fig. 3). Preservation is largely restricted to the enamel layer of each tooth. The canine fragments 70 were measured using electronic calipers providing digital readouts to the nearest millimetre (see 71 Dental Remains Recovered). Several small skull fragments (DhPg-8-3847) are also present 72 within the assemblage, but were not considered in this study. The skull fragments are too small 73 and fragmented for partial skull reconstruction, therefore the teeth were the focus of this analysis. 74 The identification of the tooth fragments was reliant predominately upon Rawn- 75 Schatzinger (1983; 1992), although several other sources (Antón et al. 2014; Biknevicius et al. 76 1996; Cope 1893; Martin et al. 2011a; Martin et al. 2011b; Martin et al. 2011c; Martin et al. 4 https://mc06.manuscriptcentral.com/cjes-pubs Page 5 of 34 Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences 77 2011d; Wheeler 2011) and some comparisons to modern Felidae taxa (Felis concolor, Lynx 78 canadensis , and Leopardus pardalis , Department of Anthropology and Archaeology, University 79 of Calgary) were also utilized. 80 Results 81 Systematic Paleontology 82 We follow the systematics proposed by Antón et al. (2014). 83 Mammalia Linnaeus, 1758 84 Order Carnivora Bowdich, 1821 85 Suborder Feliformia Kretzoi, 1945 Draft 86 Family Felidae Fischer von Waldheim, 1817 87 Subfamily Machairodontinae Gill, 1872 88 Tribe Homotheriini Kurtén, 1962 89 Genus Homotherium Fabrini, 1890 90 Homotherium serum (Cope 1893) 91 Referred Specimens 92 The material used in this study will be stored in the Archaeology collections at the Royal 93 Alberta Museum: DhPg-8-3836, crown of the upper left canine; DhPg-8-3837, crown of the 94 upper right canine; DhPg-8-3838, fragment of the crown from an upper first or second incisor; 95 DhPg-8-3839, fragment of the crown from the lower right second incisor; DhPg-8-3840, 96 fragment of the crown from the lower left second incisor; DhPg-8-3841, fragment of the crown 97 from an upper incisor; DhPg-8-3842, fragment of the crown from an unidentified incisor; DhPg- 5 https://mc06.manuscriptcentral.com/cjes-pubs Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences Page 6 of 34 98 8-3843, crown of the lower left canine; DhPg-8-3844, metacone of the upper left fourth 99 premolar; DhPg-8-3845, paracone of the lower right first molar; DhPg-8-3846, partial root; 100 DhPg-8-3847, several small skull fragments. Cataloguing of these materials followed the Borden 101 system. 102 Dental Remains Recovered 103 The Homotherium genus is particularly characterized and separated from other saber- 104 tooth cats by its dentition, and this is particularly useful in distinguishing Homotherium from its 105 close Smilodon relatives, also present in North America during the Pleistocene. A total of 11 106 tooth fragments identified as belonging to Homotherium serum were recovered at Wally’s 107 Beach. The teeth recovered indicate thatDraft only a single individual is represented; no elements are 108 duplicated and the size and wear on the teeth are consistent for a single individual. In addition, 109 the remains were discovered in-situ. Distinct, fine serrations are present along the cutting edge of 110 each tooth and are characteristic of H. serum , as serrations are present on all teeth of both 111 juvenile and adult specimens (Rawn-Schatzinger 1983). “The term “finely serrate” as used by 112 Cope (1983) and Churcher (1966) refers to the consistent and regular serration of H. serum ’s 113 teeth,” (Rawn-Schatzinger 1992:4). Within this specimen, serrations are most clearly pronounced 114 on the upper canines (Fig. 4), upon which they are present along the entire length of the anterior 115 and posterior edge (Rawn-Schatzinger 1983; 1992; Wheeler 2011:28). 116 The most distinctive of the teeth recovered from Wally’s Beach are the upper canines 117 (Fig.
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